The Stolen Seeker
by Mmmph
Summary: After Cassandra denies Sera a favor, the elf takes matters into her own hands the only way she knows how: by binding, gagging, and kidnapping the Seeker of Truth. Now Cassandra will have to use every bit of her training just to tolerate her captor, let alone escape her. Cassandra/Sera. Femslash. Light bondage. Rated M for nudity, sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

With one fell swoop of her blade, the training dummy's head was dislodged from its shoulders. It sailed aside, briefly silhouetted against the pale sprawl of morning sky peaking over the castle parapets, and then crashed against a mound of straw. The head hit the ground and rolled twice before Cassandra's boot fell atop it. She retrieved the thing, dusted it off, and worked it back onto the square peg that was its 'neck'. When the black buttoned eyes were staring menacingly her way again, Cassandra stepped back, breathed deep of the cool dawn air, and prepared another series of strikes and lunges.

She'd gotten her sword halfway around before the elf's grating voice stilled her attack. "_Hey_! Seeker lady!"

Cassandra sighed. If there was one thing she detested, it was being interrupted during her morning training sessions; let alone being interrupted by the owner of _that _particular voice. Nonetheless, she sheathed her blade and turned to face her interruptor with as much amicability as she could muster being twenty-minutes out of bed.

"Sera," she greeted upon spotting the blond elf shouldering her way between the twin streams of soldiers filing out of Skyhold Castle for their own morning practice sessions. "What do you need?"

Sera bumped shoulders with a man in steel plating, made a funny face behind his back, and sauntered her way across the last bit of the gap between them shaking her head and muttering to herself. When she passed beneath the awning of the stables where Cassandra had set up her own private training quarters, the elf's olive green eyes found hers and brightened. "Hey, uh, Seeker Cassandra. Or is it just Seeker? Or just Cassandra? Or did you go and get yourself some new fancy name I don't even know yet? Or-"

"Cassandra is fine," she interjected before the elf's voice gave her a migraine. "Just tell me what you need from me. I was training."

"Oh, training?" Sera eyed up the practice dummy. "Not much of a fighter that one, is he? What's his name? Wait, let me guess. Is it Henry? No? Thomas?"

"Sera…"

"Right." The elf shuffled her feet and chewed her lip. "Well, the thing is Seeker, er, Cassandra, I sort of, kind of, need a favor."

Cassandra crossed her arms against her breast plate. "You aren't doing _yourself_ any favors drawing this out, of that I can assure you. Ask what you came to ask."

"Yeah, right, well see the thing is, I didn't want no one else to find out about this little favor thingy, you know? Not the Inquisitor, or… well, not anyone but you, really."

"Not the Inquisitor?" Cassandra raised a brow as she sized the lanky elf up before her, from the woman's straw-colored mop of hair to her flimsy leather jerkin and mottled pants, to her salt-stained hunting boots and back. "Sera, if this is some covert mission you're requesting, I suggest you take your concerns to Leliana. I don't have time to-"

"No, see, only _you _can help me with this, Seeker." Sera offered a lopsided smile. "It's one of those 'special request' types."

If anything, the elf had at least piqued Cassandra's interest. "I'm listening."

"Well I know _that_. We've been having a conversation back and forth for, like, a minute now." Sera chuckled. When Cassandra didn't, she cleared her throat and plowed on. "Okay, here's the thing. You know the group I worked with before getting tangled up with you lot and your Inquisition?"

"The Friends of Red Jenny."

"Right. The Friends… well, they've been putting together a little operation for the past few months, and everything's about to fall into play. It's real good stuff too, all the makings of an epic revenge tale, you know? Corrupt Orlesian bureaucrats and their filthy guards getting their good and just comeuppance for all the little people they've used and abused along the way. Greedy bastards. The Friends have been playing them for a long time, and now they're ready to _strike_!" She pounded her fists against her palm. "_Pow!_ Pretty neat, right?"

Cassandra drummed her fingers impatiently against her shoulder plate.

"Heh, yeah, well… you get the picture. Anyway, all we, er, _they _need now is to get the last player into his role, then they're going to dish out a healthy serving of revenge against the whole corrupt lot." The elf chewed her lip again. "The only thing is… well, see when I told some of my old 'Friends' I'd gotten mixed up with you Inquisition… _ers_, they had the bright idea of leveraging that against one of them rotten bureaucrats. They knew he had it out for the Chantry and, for whatever reason, the Chantry Seekers in particular, so they made up a little fib about having captured, well, _you_."

Cassandra frowned, but remained silent.

"Now this last little piglet of ours wants proof before he'll bring his people to the dance. Well, it's not a dance, really. It's a trap. Set by the Friends of Red Jenny. And they're not going to dance, they're going to kill everyone. Trust me, though, they baddies _deserve _it."

Cassandra sighed. "Setting aside the fact you just informed me you have ties with a band of outlaws and soon-to-be murders, Sera, you still haven't told me what, exactly, you _want_."

The elf swallowed, hesitated, then blurted out her request all together. "I want you to come with me to a cave near the Hinterlands so the Friends can show this corrupt bastard's steward that they _do_, in fact, have you held prisoner. Then the steward tells the bastard, the bastard shows up with the rest of his corrupt pals to the Friends' little trap, and _Pow!_" She punched her hand again. "A little blood, a big victory for the poor victims of the bastards, and everyone goes home happy." She grinned. "So, what do you think? Will you come? Can I, erm, sort of 'borrow you' for a day?"

"Absolutely not." And with that, Cassandra turned back to her training dummy and unsheathed her sword to continue her morning session.

She'd gotten three swipes in before Sera's voice whined over her shoulder, "That's _it_? 'Absolutely not' and you're just, like, _done _with it!?"

Cassandra faced her complainer and frowned. "It's dangerous, stupid, and illegal. If these men your 'Friends' are going after are as repugnant as you claim, they'll get theirs soon enough anyway. Perhaps this very Inquisition will bring justice upon them. Until then? Keep your focus where it's needed: _here_, and with us. Now I've got training to do. Goodbye, Sera."

Sera stared at her, her mouth hung agape incredulously a moment till she snapped it shut and frowned. "Well, you know, actually, I was supposed to tell you something else anyway, I just figured I'd get in that particular request first."

"What is it?"

"The Inquisitor. He's requested your presence down in the part of the castle under renovation. Didn't say what for. Hey, promise you won't tell him about all this stuff, okay?"

Cassandra thrust her blade back into its sheath and took a step towards the elf. "And you tell me this _now_? After all that rambling? Maker… you are something else." She shook her head and shoved her way around Sera. "Next time, if Maker forbid there is one, don't waste my time for five minutes with your nonsense before telling me something that matters."

She didn't bother hanging around to see what the elf's reply might be: honestly, she didn't care. Instead, Cassandra hurried down the dirt pathway that wound in and under Skyhold Castle's walkways with her scabbard banging against her greaves. The rest of the Inquisition was just waking up themselves, and twice she had to step around swinging doors or yawning men in arms strolling out of the barracks. The path curved a few meters down and then climbed a shallow hill to the back of the outer yards, where a crumbling tower in ruin had been built around a big oak tree; the thing's sparse branches poking out of broken stone and frosted with morning dew. Cassandra pulled another breath of fresh air as she passed beneath them, and that seemed to quell her anger a bit. Perhaps she _had _been a bit short with the elf. On a moment's consideration, she decided to apologize if their path's crossed again before dinner.

She reached the rounded doorway of the tower's entrance and stepped inside. The interior was darker, warmer, and… completely empty. Cassandra frowned as she stepped around the door jamb and eyed the vacant table and vacant chairs and vacant counters. It didn't look like anyone had been there at all that morning. In fact, the longer she stood pondering on the strangeness of the empty room, it dawned on her what a peculiar request it had been for the Inquisitor to summon her _here_ of all places at all. Why would a meeting be called in a renovation site as opposed to in the war room?

Before she could piece together anymore of the puzzle, though, an arm wrapped her from behind and a soft cloth was clamped down and squeezed over her mouth and nose before she could struggle loose. Cassandra stiffened-

-but went limp almost immediately as a pungent fragrance filled her nose and a heavy darkness rose up all around her, shutting her eyes and clouding her mind. She staved it off for only a moment before the sensation grew too overwhelming, then she slipped into the bottomless void of a gentle unconsciousness, falling, falling, falling…

* * *

When she woke, it was with a sluggish stiffness and a queer taste on her tongue. Cassandra groaned and shook her head to loose whatever residue clung to her mind before prying her eyes apart and making them focus. She saw a room and a hearth with a fire burning in it. When she noticed the fire was sideways, it dawned on her she was laying on the floor against her side, atop a soft carpet or something. She made to stand-

-and couldn't budge. That sped the 'waking up' process considerably. Cassandra forced her eyes as wide as saucers and looked down at her body. What she found was ropes; ropes upon ropes upon ropes, some circling her chest, some down around her thighs and knees and ankles. She twisted at her hands, but they too, she assumed, had been bound together behind her at the small of her back. _I__'__ve been captured? _She thought, forcing herself to stay calm. When she tried to remember what had happened that _led _to her capture, though, she couldn't recall a thing. It was as if someone or something had draped an impenetrable curtain across her memory, concealing it from her, and…

…then the elf appeared and it all came flooding, furiously, back.

"_You_…" Cassandra croaked through a throat that'd turned to sandpaper when Sera came sauntering down a flight of wooden stairs at the room's far wall. When the elf, presumably, saw she'd awoken, she hurried to close and lock a hatch above the stairwell and hop down to the ground level. Cassandra glared incredulously up at her approaching captor. Through grit teeth, she growled, "How _dare _you! What is the _meaning_ of this!? You will answer for this betrayal, elf. Do you hear me? You will _answer _for this! Why have you kidnapped me!?"

Sera twisted her lips as she crouched down before Cassandra and looked her over. "I didn't really 'kidnap' you, per se. I mean, not really. We're still at Skyhold, so don't go throwing them kind of accusations around all willy-nilly. I just, sort of… _incapacitated _you." She smiled. "Yeah. See how much more pleasant that sounds? 'Kidnapping' makes me sound like some sort of criminal or something."

Cassandra balled her hands to fists so tightly behind her, she felt her nails dig into her palm. "You _drugged_ me. What did you knock me unconscious with?"

"Was just a sleep potion. Relax. Been used on plenty of people plenty of times. It's not like its going to make you grow a third eye on your cheek or something. Though, that would be sorta funny, wouldn't it?"

Cassandra glanced around the room. The stairs, the hatch, and the low-hung wood ceiling told her it was a basement of sorts. If she _was _still in Skyhold, that was a good thing. It meant allies were near, and if she escaped, she'd know her way around. Her eyes found her captor's and narrowed. "Why?"

Sera looked bemused. "Why what? Why'd I truss you all up good and tight like some mule? Or why, like, do the darkspawn have to be so mean all the time? You have to specify your questions, Seeker Cassandra."

It took a great deal of self-control to stop herself from shouting her answer. "Why am I tied up in some basement? What do you stand to gain by doing this?"

"You don't get it." Sera leaned a bit closer and shook a loose strand of hair from her face to clear a path for her eyes to bear down into Cassandra's own. "These people the Friends of Red Jenny are going after? They're _very _bad people. Very, very bad. They wronged not just the Friends, but lots others… and they've wronged _me _in the past, too. Vengeance is long overdue for these bastards." She ripped a dagger from a sheath at her hip and twisted the blade so the hearth's fire caught against its reflective surface. "Their blood is more important than anything in the world… and that includes this Inquisition."

"You _fool_!" Cassandra shouted. "If the Inquisition falls, Thedas itself falls! And that includes you, your friends, and anyone you ever cared about. Don't be so short-sighted. Now untie me so I can get back to aiding it, and I'll do what I can to convince the others to simply lock you up for the rest of your life instead of lopping off your head."

Sera pursed her lips and nodded. "That _is _a tempting offer, Seeker Cassandra, but I think I have to pass. See, you're all tied up. As such, your big bad threats don't quite carry the same weight as, say, someone who _wasn__'__t _all tied up. So instead, I'm going to keep you right where you are until my contact sends me a letter. Then I'm going to throw you on the back of a horse, still trussed up mind you, ride you down to a meet-up location, and present you to anyone who wants you presented." Her eyes floated into a distant stare. "Then I'm going to have my revenge against them bastards who wronged me… then? I'll send you on your way back here to do… well, whatever it is you _do_ for your precious Inquisition. Everyone wins, see?"

"Untie me, _now_!" Cassandra snapped, twisting at her bound wrists. "Let the Blight take your stupid plans, I can't be _kidnapped _right now!"

"You _are _kidnapped right now, though," Sera corrected with a raised finger.

"Untie me."

"I will not."

"_Argh_!" Cassandra lost her patience, throwing her head back and writhing against the ropes restraining her. Sera moved down a bit to give her room, and it was then Cassandra found an opening for attack, as futile as attack was. She swung her bound legs back and thrust them forward. The iron tips of her boots found the elf's thigh. Sera yelped and went tumbling aside grabbing at the spot she'd been kicked.

"_Ow_! What was that for!?"

Cassandra only glared, grinding her teeth against one another.

Sera frowned, chewed her lip, then circled around her with a wide berth to avoid kicking range. When she'd closed the gap on Cassandra's legs, she dove atop them, pinning them to the floor. "Stupid iron boots," the elf muttered as she fondled with the buckles of Cassandra's boots. "Kicked me for no good reason… geez, how big _are_ your stinking feetanyway?"

"Get off me, you fool!" Cassandra growled, but by then Sera had already yanked her boots off, tossed them aside, and dismounted her anyway.

"There, now you won't be doing no kicking, will you? Not in your bare feet anyway… even if they _are _humongous bare feet."

Cassandra glowered up at the elf. "When I get out of here…"

"When you get out of here, it will be slung on the back of a horse saddle." Sera crouched beside her head again and offered that infuriating grin. "As _my _prisoner." She let the expression linger a moment before reaching to her belt and plucking a long bandanna loose she'd had tucked away.

Cassandra eyed it wearily. "What are you doing now?"

"The only thing bigger than your big feet is your big _mouth_," Sera answered, dangling the bandanna between thumb and forefinger. "Which means _some_body needs a muzzle. Can you guess who? Three tries only. Her names starts with a 'C'. Or an 'S', I s'ppose. But that would be for 'Seeker', not 'Sera', heh."

"Gagging me isn't necessary. I won't shout or call for help."

"_Necessary?_" Sera gripped her chin and scrunched up her face. "Probably not. But is it _preferable_? Absolutely. You talk too much, and the things you say are so boring anyway." She chuckled and cocked her head to the side. "Let me ask you something, Seeker. If the roles were swapped, and it were _me _on that floor all trussed up… would you really let me keep flapping my gums if you could just shut me up?"

Cassandra leaned forward and sneered. "_I__'__d_ cut your tongue out."

"Well then, looks like _I__'__m _the nicer of the two of us after all. See, I'm just going to stuff this here rag in your mouth."

But Cassandra wasn't finished. "I'd cut your lying tongue out, then I'd pin it up on a wall where everyone could see it and be reminded of what a treacherous little manipulative-" Sera jammed the bandanna between her teeth and pulled the ends tight around the back of her head, turning Cassandra's words into incomprehensible nonsense and mumbles. "_Hrrnmrnmbr! Mrnrrmrph mrmn hnmm_!"

"There you go, big mouth," Sera chirped as she leaned back. "You can chew on that gag to relieve some of that endless pool of anger you've got there."

Cassandra writhed and shook her head, but the gag stayed firmly wedged between her lips. "_Hrrrrmnnmm frmnmn mrmmph!_"

Sera clapped her hands. "Well _that__'__s _certainly an improvement."

Cassandra growled and fumed, imagining what she might do to her captor if she could just break free of the ropes binding her.

The elf watched her awhile with a grin. "You know, the whole 'Big Bad Angry Seeker' thing you've got going on, thanks to that gag shoved in your big mouth to stop you from ruining it… you're kind of cute."

Cassandra stopped struggling. She stared at her captor, utterly nonplussed.

For a second, Sera herself seemed a bit uncertain of how to respond. The color rose in her cheeks, but then the elf just laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "But you've got those big smelly feet of yours anyway, so… kind of a deal-breaker for me. Sorry. Guess we just weren't meant to be."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and laid flat on her back to collect her thoughts and try to control her anger. She took a few deep breaths, unclenched her fists, brought the suppleness back to her posture. If there was a way to be found out of this mess, it certainly wouldn't be in a fit of rage; she'd need a level-headed approach.

"Well, looks like you're adjusting well," Sera said, standing. "Sooo, I'm going to be off for a bit then, yeah? I'm going to do my thing, and _you__'__re_ going to lie there nice and quiet and calm like you are now. If you start trouble…" Sera glanced around the room, chewed her lip, looked back to Cassandra. "Well, I'll just have to, like, wrap you up in a carpet and stuff you in a closet or something. I don't know. I'll figure it out. Just remember: if you behave yourself down here, we'll be done with this whole thing in no time."

Cassandra watched the elf head for the stairs, resolved to not writhe or make any sound… at least until she was certain her captor was long gone.

"I'll be back in a bit," Sera said as she started to climb the stairs. "I'll try and get you some soup or something. Whatever crap they're doling out in the kitchen these days. Promise to be good down here?" When Cassandra, obviously, didn't answer, Sera feigned understanding with an exaggerated roll of her head. "Oh, right." She tapped her mouth. "Well, I'm sure if you _could_ talk, you'd say… '_Goodbye, oh beautiful Sera, Queen of the Elves, and thank you for helping me stop being so selfish and start taking others into consideration before I make rash decisions._'. To which _I _say, you're welcome!"

Cassandra closed her eyes and waited for the annoying elf and her annoying voice to retreat. When they had, the stairwell hatch slamming shut and an iron bolt clicking over to lock it in place, she opened her eyes again and sat up at once. She tugged at her ropes, subtly at first incase the elf was still near, listening, but gradually she added more and more strength to her attempts until she'd gone red in the face from the exertion of pulling and twisting and wiggling every bit of her she could. It did not the slightest bit of good; Sera's ropework was solid. Cassandra sunk her teeth into her gag and looked furiously around the room, desperate for some aid in her escape. The hearth fire still burned, but it was set back on hot coals and walled off and locked behind iron gating anyway. There'd be no burning herself free. Otherwise, the basement was too sparse to be hiding anything useful. There was a table and some chairs, the thick carpet she'd been laid out on in the corner, and that was it. No help to be found.

Cassandra muttered a muffled curse and swung her legs around to sit against the wall. She writhed a bit more, but the ropes were beginning to chafe her wrists and ankles with every twist, and, if anything, actually felt _tighter _than when she'd started. She laid her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. _How did you let this happen, Cassandra? _She thought. _You were a Seeker of the Chantry, ranked higher even than Templar commanders, and at the right hand side of the Herald of Andraste. _She looked down at her chest. _Now what are you? Kidnapped__… __bound hand and foot__… __gagged__… __utterly useless. And the prisoner of an elf. _She stomped her feet, but without her boots, even through the carpeting, it hurt. That only made her angrier. She used the anger, alongside the last bit of fight in her, to make one last attempt at breaking her ropes, twisting, writhing, and stomping all the while. When her frustrated attempt failed, though, she was only left with sore wrists, sore ankles, sore feet, and nothing to do but lie down and wait. So she did.

* * *

Sera came back sometime later, but how _much _later, Cassandra could not say. She must have dozed off at some point atop the carpet, for when she next opened her eyes, the elf had already entered the basement and set up a little dining area at the room's solitary table. Cassandra rolled onto her side and groaned; she was still sore in all the same places, only now her wounds had had time to get _mad _at her, too.

Sera glanced her way. "Oh, so you _are_ still alive. I'd started to wonder." She waited for reply, as if Cassandra could give one, before going on. "I brought the soup like I said. See? I'm not _all _lies. Now we've got to get you over here. Will you cooperate, or should I fetch some mage to cast a levitation spell on you or something?"

"_Hmmph,_" Cassandra grunted with a nod.

"I'll have to take your '_hmmph_' as a yes, I s'ppose." Sera crossed the room to her. "Come on, then. Up you go."

Together, they managed to get her standing. Cassandra had to roll onto side before wiggling her way to her knees, then be guided upwards alongside the elf's body to fully erect before Sera pointed the way to the table. Cassandra looked at her and raised a brow.

"Well I'm not going to loose those long legs of yours, am I? I've already felt _one _kick from them things. They hurt! So… you'll have to hop."

_How humiliating, _Cassandra thought with a shake of her head.

"I know, I know. Seekers can't be hoppers or some ancient rule, I'm sure, but it's the only way, so get hopping. Hey, at least we know you should have good balance with those giant feet of yours propping you up, right?"

If the choice was stand there and have the elf's voice send insults right next to her ear or suffer the humiliation of a few hops, the decision was an easy one. Cassandra hopped, bouncing on the balls and heels of her feet as she worked her way over to the dining area. She reached the table and Sera scooted around her to pull out a chair. Together they got her seated, but the moment she was, the elf pulled out another length of rope and starting wrapping her up to the back of the chair. Cassandra watched, more annoyed that her captor found such a thing necessary than angry.

"Can never be too cautious with you Seekers of Truth," Sera explained as she finished binding Cassandra securely back against the chair with a half-dozen coils of heavy rope. "See? Now that you're all tied down, I can be nice and untie your legs." For what it was worth, the elf did as she said, removing the ropes around Cassandra's thighs and ankles. It was a welcome relief to be able to stretch a bit again. Then Sera pulled a second chair up and seated herself as well. "Soup's on the menu. Are you hungry?"

Cassandra gave her a dry look.

Sera slapped her brow. "Right! I keep forgetting about," she tapped her mouth, "you know. I guess I'll have to take that off you, huh? Promise not to shout if I do?"

Slowly, Cassandra nodded. Sera leaned over and loosened the gag enough to work it out from between her lips and let it drop to hang loosely around her neck. Cassandra moved her jaw around a bit before speaking. "You have a lot of nerve putting a _gag_ in my mouth. You do know what I am, don't you?"

"I'll have even more nerve putting that gag _back _in your mouth if you're going to start talking like that."

Cassandra took a breath, maintaining her patience. "I am a Seeker of the Chantry, Sera. Can't you understand how dangerous it is doing this to me? If someone were to find out… a chancellor, a templar, an arl… almost _any_one with power, and you'd be hunted for life. I know things only very few in Thedas know. It is my duty as a seeker of truth. If people find out you had me bound and at your mercy, they'll want to know what I told you." She leaned closer for emphasis. "They'll want to silence you, permanently."

Sera twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she listened. When Cassandra finished, she shrugged and reached for the soup. "I'm not afraid of being chased. I'm pretty quick anyhow."

"Quicker than an _army_ if it were to come to that?"

"_Much_."

Cassandra pressed her lips together, looking for another line of dialogue to sway the elf to her reasoning. "I wouldn't tell anyone you did this if you let me go. That offer stands now… it won't stand forever, Sera. Be reasonable."

The elf dipped a wooden spoon into the soup, filled it, and jabbed it into her mouth. Her expression grew pensive as she chewed. "Mmmm… I don't think so."

Cassandra's patience was wearing thin again. "Look, you _said _you're going to let me go either way. Wouldn't you rather do it on my terms so that the consequences are much less… _severe _for you_?_"

"Well…" Sera spooned another bite, tapping her cheek thoughtfully as she chewed. "I _could _let you go… or I just might keep you. I haven't truly decided. What about that?"

"_Keep _me?"

"Right, like, as my prisoner? Then, no one knows I was the one who kidnapped you, _but_ I still get what I want with the whole vengeance thing and whatnot. Open up."

"What?" But before Cassandra could say another word, her elf captor was slipping a spoonful of hot soup inside her mouth. She was only angry until the taste hit her tongue, and the soothing broth raced down her throat.

"Not bad, right?"

Cassandra swallowed, relishing the warmth of the meal as it reached her empty stomach. "…no. It's not bad."

"Another bite then?"

_This is more humiliating than the hopping. _Cassandra sighed, averted her gaze, and offered a slight nod of her head. Sera wasted no time feeding her another bite, and another, and another. By the sixth spoonful, Cassandra had forgotten her chagrin, and was only focused on eating. She hadn't had breakfast, and the soup was reinvigorating her; in body _and _spirit.

"You're not serious… right?" She asked after she'd had nearly half the bowl spoon fed to her. "About not letting me go?"

"Well I _did _capture you fair and square," Sera pointed out, taking a bite.

"You _deceived_ me," Cassandra protested.

"Yes, fairly and squarely." The elf laughed. "Couldn't you just picture it though? I go off on a hard day's work of putting arrows in arrogant idiots' heads, you stay home, tied up to a chair? I'd walk in, 'Hello, darling, I'm back.'. You'd answer," she put her hand over her own mouth, "'_mmmnmnmnmnmmmnmn_'." Sera chortled, slapping her thigh. "It'd be… fun."

"Sera…"

"Of _course_ I'm joking, geez! You think I'd keep a _Seeker _held prisoner for any longer than I had to? You're so serious all the time. I've never even see you _laugh_. That's just sad, innit?"

Cassandra stared at the soup, the steam rising from the rim of the bowl. "I'll laugh plenty when my duty is fulfilled."

"Oh?" The elf took a bite of soup and stared at her as she chewed. "When's that again?"

"Someday."

"Someday _soon_?"

"I… don't know."

Sera rolled her eyes. "You know, if I _did _kidnap you and steal you away from here… you're 'duty' _would _be over. You'd just be, like, my prisoner full-time."

Cassandra frowned. "Don't start in with that nonsense again."

"Well, I'm just saying-"

"Well don't," she snapped. Their conversation was making her increasingly uncomfortable. She stared at the table a moment until she saw Sera readying to start talking again and cut her off before she could, "Look, just put the gag back in my mouth. I'd rather be silenced than have to talk with _you _one minute longer."

Sera stared at her a moment, as if waiting for the punchline to some joke Cassandra never even told. Then the elf's brow scrunched up indignantly and she pushed herself back from the table. "Yeah, alright. _Fine_!" She marched around the back of the chair. "Open your big mouth then, dummy." When Cassandra did, Sera filled it with the bandanna, pulling hard on the ends and bringing them back around her head. As the elf knotted it, she said, "You can _keep_ this thing in your stupid mouth for the rest of our time together, too. See if I care. All _I_ did was bring you soup and try to make jokes and make you laugh. What do I care if you're just some cold, aloof, way-too-serious, big-footed, stinking… _human_. Muzzle tight enough? Here, let me help you." She pulled the gag even tighter against the corner's of Cassandra's lips. "_There_. Now you won't have to worry about saying a _word _to me. Or anyone. Happy?"

"_Mmrph,_" Cassandra grunted as Sera came sauntering back around in front of her. She glowered up at her captor, grinding her teeth against the bandanna wedged between them while the elf glared right back.

"You know, just because _you _can't talk doesn't mean I can't neither," Sera pointed out with a smirk. "Didn't think of that, did you? I can sit here and talk and talk all day and night, and you'd just have to sit there and listen. What do you think of that?"

Cassandra shook her head slow and contemptuously.

"_Psh, _whatever." The elf threw her hands up and headed back for the stairs. "I don't like being around you anymore than you like being around me, anyways. Not like I _care_." She stomped up the stairs. At the hatch she said, "Hope you enjoyed the meal. I might just not bring you another," then promptly departed and locked Cassandra in from above.

_Maker give me strength, _Cassandra prayed when she was alone again. The elf had left her tied tightly to the chair, and it was there, unfortunately, she'd likely stay until the childish thing came back and let her loose. She relaxed her posture to maker herself as comfortable as possible, closed her eyes, and waited.

* * *

It was as she was waiting, idly tapping her foot, when it dawned on her that her legs were _free_. Ostensibly, that didn't matter anyway, since she was wrapped up tight to the back of the chair, but… wooden chairs weren't the most durable items in Skyhold. Not by far. Cassandra looked around the room, pausing only long enough to listen for footsteps or sound from the room above. When she heard none, she took a breath to ready herself and leaned forward as far as the ropes would allow. The chair lurched a bit but stayed put. When she tried a second time, she thrust her legs forward too to add momentum. That time, the back of the chair rocked forward just enough for her to shift her center of weight over her feet. When she had her balance composed, she stood; the chair rising up with her, attached with the ropes. It felt good to stand; good enough to spark a new rush of hope in her. She backpedaled a bit to the wall, balled her fists tight, and shoved the chair legs against the hard stone at her back. The basement filled with the slap of the wood against the stone, but not the liberating _crack _she'd been looking for. The chair had survived… the _first _strike, at least.

It was four more good hits, each louder and more violent than the last, before she'd managed to crack the wood. Two more after that, and the chair splintered apart in a shower of broken pieces. Cassandra spun wide-eyed on her work and found the ropes that had bound her simply sliding down her body and pooling at her feet. _Better_, she thought with a nod as she stepped out of the rope and away from the destruction she'd caused. _Now, only my hands and arms are bound. _Even in that state, however, she thought she might have a good chance at overwhelming one skinny elf, especially the _unsuspecting_ skinny elf that had happened to capture and restrain her.

Knowing time could be against her, Cassandra hurried for the basement stairs. She hesitated at her boots, considering trying to awkwardly slip her feet back inside them without use of her hands, but decided if she had to sneak around, going barefoot was a better option anyway. She left them, opting instead to climb the wooden stairs in twos until her head was practically pressed to the floor hatch above. She weighed her options. Trying to break the thing would make a lot of noise, and Cassandra wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing. If the elf had her stashed somewhere secluded, and only Sera herself was near, it could go very bad for her. Deciding against that option, Cassandra quietly moved up the stairs instead, bending over to give herself room and gradually pressing her back up against the hatch. When she had strong footing, she slowly, _carefully_, applied pressure upwards, hoping to perhaps snap a hinge. The floor had no give for awhile, but when she bit down on her bandanna and grunted with exertion, she felt the hatch bow a bit in its center. Slowly, she added more pressure, more, more, more, then-

-a hinge _snapped_, and just like that the hatch was no longer locked.

Cassandra used her head and shoulders to slowly inch the broken door up and away from the floorboards. Her eyes breached the line of the floor itself, and she swept a long, vigilant, scan around for her soon-to-be-apprehended kidnapper. The elf was nowhere in sight, though, so Cassandra began inching her way out of the basement and into the abandoned section of Skyhold Castle that had not yet been renovated. She used her foot to carefully lower the hatch back into place without much noise before crouching and stalking off into an adjacent hall of curved stone.

The next room was as deserted as the first. It had cylindrical walls and windows cut high and narrow into the stone but little else. _An abandoned watchtower, _Cassandra noted, slowly padding her bare feet across the floorboards. An old wooden door stood at one end of the empty room, and from around its rim, she could see faint light and feel the cool breeze of the outside world seeping through. It housed no locks. She was free.

_Finally! _She hurried to the door, turned aside to work her fingers around the handle, and pulled. The door swung open, the cold air swept in, and Castle Skyhold in all its glory sprawled before her. It was nearly dusk by then, but she could still hear voices down in the courtyards and gardens below. It sent a stir of excitement into her belly as she stepped onto the curtain wall's walkway. To her right, the crenelated battlements stood in rows, to her left, the courtyard below a long drop. She peered over and saw a few people coming and going, but with the gag still wedged firmly in her mouth, Cassandra doubted she'd gather any attention by trying to shout. She had to keep moving.

She'd made it down around the fist turn in the wall, ignoring how damned cold the stone was against the soles of her feet as she ran, before spotting someone that could help her. At the next watch tower, a young woman with dark hair and a long dress was knelt outside, tending to a row of potted elfroot. Cassandra hurried to the woman, mumbling desperately into her gag the second she'd breached earshot. The woman looked up and gasped, putting a hand to her mouth and nearly tumbling to her ass before collecting herself.

"S-Seeker Cassandra!" The woman said. "Praise the _Maker_, are you alright?"

Cassandra gave the woman a curt nod before spinning around and tugging at her bound wrists. She tried telling the startled thing to untie her quickly, but the bandanna made a mess of her words.

"Oh, look at that!" The woman said as she stood. "Someone went and tied you all up, Seeker! You poor thing. Here, Lady Cassandra, let me help you."

Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the woman's fingers start fondling around with the knots binding her wrists. She was finally going to be free and rid of this whole nightmare.

"Whoever bound you, they bound you well I'm afraid. I can't loose the knot. Come with me, I'll get something to cut you free." With that the woman hooked her arm beneath Cassandra's own and began leading her forward… _back _towards the derelict watchtower. Cassandra grunted and shook her head, trying to gesture back the other way, but the woman had a firm grip on her upper arm and was determinedly dragging her along anyway. "It's alright. I'm going to get you out of those ropes, m'lady. I saw a blade over there in that tower."

Something felt strange about the woman at once, and Cassandra, if anything, had learned to trust her instincts over her many years in servitude to the Chantry. She ripped her arm loose from the woman's grip, spun, and sprinted back in the other direction.

She'd gotten a few good strides in before being tackled from behind. Both Cassandra and her tackler went tumbling to the stone walkway, tangled in one another. Without her arms to break the fall, Cassandra had to twist aside at the last moment to avoid smashing her face, but the moment she hit the ground, the dark-haired woman was scrambling atop her and grabbing for her limbs. She writhed beneath the woman's grasping hands before the rush of approaching footsteps demanded her attention. She snapped her head up in hopes of finding the Inquisitor, or _some_one who might help her, but instead found only the elf.

"What the bloody _shite_ are you doing!?" Sera shouted as quietly, apparently, as she could. "What's she _doing_ out here!? I heard you're big mouth from down in the gardens, you idiot!"

"_Me_!?" The woman protested. "_You__'__re _the one who left her feet untied! I _asked _if you tied the feet! You said you did!"

"I did!"

"Clearly, Sera, you didn't."

Sera looked from her 'friend' to Cassandra with a puzzled expression before rolling her eyes and punching her leg. "Oh, bugger that. I untied them when I fed her. You crafty little Seeker you!" She hurried up beside the two of them. "Hurry, 'Becca, grab her legs. We've got to get her back inside. I could _see _you two from the lower walkway when I was sprinting up here!"

"Oh, Maker!" The woman, ''Becca' apparently, cursed as she scrambled to dismount Cassandra and pin her kicking legs beneath her arm. "Well let's haul her back inside then! Come on!"

Together, the two managed to wrangle Cassandra up between them; Sera holding on to her thrashing upper body, her partner fighting desperately to keep a grip on her legs. Cassandra herself grunted and groaned and lashed and kicked, but the two of them working together against her, and without use of her arms, made the efforts nothing but futile. They hoisted her off the ground and quickly lugged her back down the walkway and beneath the curved arch of the abandoned tower.

"This is madness," 'Becca snapped once they'd gotten her back inside. "First you kidnap a bloody _Seeker_, and now she's running around half-free!? Sera…"

"I know, I know," Sera said with a dismissive flick of her hand. "Look, the important thing is we got the bull-of-a-woman back in here. Now we just need to tie her down a bit better, and that's that, innit?" She reached for a coil of rope hanging beside the doorway.

"And smuggle her _out _of here eventually, of course."

"Well, sure. That'll be the easy bit, though. Wrap her up in a carpet, sneak her out in the middle of the night… no problem."

"Sera, there's a _search _going on right now for this woman!"

"Is there? Well, it's a good thing _we_ found her then, isn't it?"

Cassandra had tired of listening to the two bicker. She started writhing in their arms again.

"We should lock her in a cabinet," 'Becca said as she struggled to maintain her hold on Cassandra's legs. "Or stuff her in a wine cask or something. She's like some wild beast!"

"She's a beastie, alright," Sera agreed, "but I'm not stuffing her in no wine cask, B. Come on. We'll get her upstairs and strap her down to the bed."

"And if she breaks free of _that_…?"

Sera laughed. "If she breaks free after what _I__'__m_ going to do to her, she deserves her bloody freedom. Now come on."

It took them the rest of the day's light to haul her upstairs, thanks in large part due to Cassandra's struggles. She had no intentions of making her capture any easier on her kidnappers. By the time they'd managed to breach the top of the circular stairwell that wrapped the inner wall of the tower, the two of them were red in the face and huffing and puffing. Cassandra did not relent, bucking her hips and pumping her legs to keep them on their toes each time they made to rest a moment. When they finally managed to get her through the short upper hall and into the master bed chamber, they were so fatigued they simply thrust her down on the mattress and collapsed beside it. Cassandra's legs were still unbound, though, and the moment she was rid of their hold, she clambered to a stand and made for the door.

Sera skirted around her and slammed it shut. The elf angled a slender finger in her direction with a shake of her head. "I don't think so, Cassandra. You've stirred up enough trouble today, haven't you? Go lie down and I won't-"

Cassandra charged. Sera yelped and hopped aside, and if she weren't so furious, Cassandra might have enjoyed that just a bit. _Even bound, I can make them fear me._

"You coward," 'Becca teased her friend, but when Cassandra snapped her head around, the dark-haired woman flinched herself, as if struck. "Well, Maker, let's tie her down already then!"

They flanked her, grabbed her arms, and wrestled her back to the bed. They shoved her, and Cassandra flopped flat on her back, but before she could try to rise again, they were crowding her sides and holding her in place. Sera slipped her coil of rope off her arm and looped up one of Cassandra's ankles in it. Then she crawled for the corner of the mattress and wrapped the other end around the bed post. When she pulled the slack taught, Cassandra's leg stretched out and went with it. Sera hurried around to the other side and repeated the process. When she'd finished, Cassandra's legs were spread, stretched, and tied in place.

"Normally, I'd _enjoy _seeing a woman like this," said Sera as she cut the remaining rope free and grinned. "You know, all strapped down to a bed and what have you. But _you_… well, frankly, you just sort of scare me now."

Cassandra bit her gag and glared.

The elf used the rest of the rope tactfully. First, she bound one of Cassandra's arms against her body, then freed the other. Cassandra tried fighting them off, but one arm against four hands was anything but useful. They wrangled up her wrist and got it looped in rope and stretched to the upper corner of the bed. After they repeated the same trick on her other hand, Cassandra knew the fight was through; she'd been conquered. Each one of her limbs was stretched almost to its maximum then, her wrists and ankles bound and tethered to the four posts at the bed's corners. When she tugged at any one of them, the ropes' answer was one of obstinate denial: she wasn't going anywhere.

"See, she's not so scary when the only things she can move are her fingers and toes," Sera said with a light chuckle, dusting off her hands.

"Sera, we must _ensure _that doesn't happen again," her friend began. "If we're caught holding a Seeker against her will, we'd both lose our heads within the hour."

Sera twisted her lips. "I wouldn't like that. I've grown rather _attached _to my head over the years." She turned a goofy grin on her partner, but the dark-haired woman only frowned. "Oh, you're no fun."

"I'm going back to my post. I suggest you stay with her as much as you can until our letter arrives. Keep watch over her." The woman grimaced. "Use another potion on her and put her to sleep if you have to. Just don't let her get away."

Sera glanced down at Cassandra and her grin widened. "Hear that? We're roomies now, Seeker. Now we can _talk _lots. I know how much you enjoy that."

Cassandra shook her head in disgust.

"I'm going to go make sure no one saw or heard that little… mishap," 'Becca explained, heading for the door. "You know where to find me if you need me."

"Right."

The woman departed, and Sera closed and locked the door behind her. The elf turned back to Cassandra, shrugged, and traipsed over to the side of the bed. She slid a chair out from a desk, flipped it around, and slumped into it. She kicked her feet up on the bed beside Cassandra's stomach and crossed them at the ankles, lacing her fingers behind her head and staring absentmindedly up at the ceiling as she hummed a little melody. After a few infuriating moments of that, the elf's eyes turned on Cassandra, and that obnoxious smirk resurfaced. "Comfy?"

Cassandra looked away.

"Bet you were pretty surprised 'bout 'Becca, huh?" She laughed. "You didn't really think _I _was the only Friend of Red Jenny that got mixed up with you Inquisitors, did you? Nope. There's plenty of us. Wherever there's kings and queens and chancellors and arls stepping, there'll be plenty of us little people getting stepped _on_. We tend to not like that sort of thing. The Friends of Red Jenny is just a way for us to voice our… discontent." Cassandra felt a poke at her ribs. "Hey, Cassandra." Begrudgingly, she turned to face the elf. Sera had her foot suspended in the air, waggling it about. "See that? _Normal-_sized foot." She laughed. Cassandra didn't. "Oh, lighten up already, would you? I'm just teasing, you know."

_How much longer must I endure this? _Cassandra wondered, trying her best to mentally remove herself from the room and the company of her obnoxious kidnapper. _Held captive at the mercy of some juvenile, crazy elf. _Her eyes floated to the tower room's sole window. Night was nearly set to fall. Darkness was coming. No one had found her, and, now, no one would. At least not till morning. Sera was blabbering on about something, but Cassandra's mind was elsewhere, and before long, she actually managed to drift off to sleep.

She dreamed of being caught in a spider's web, wrapped up helplessly in webbing by a giant spider with blond hair and elf's ears and an annoying laugh.

Even in her dreams, she couldn't escape Sera.


	2. Chapter 2

Since Cassandra had 'gone missing', things had gotten tense in Skyhold Castle. The Inquisitor had guards marching about, questioning anyone and everyone about his precious missing Seeker. That sneaky Leliana had dispatched her own shadows as well. Sera saw them from time to time, slipping in and out of the darkness in their hooded cloaks, watching, always watching. She just thought they were creepy, like the mysterious red-head herself. At night, she liked sitting in the pub, keeping her head down and her ears listening. The most prevalent rumor buzzing among the common folk at the moment was that Cassandra had been kidnapped by a rogue group of bandits, looking to ransom her off to some 'red templar order' or something. Sera wasn't sure. She mostly tuned out when people were talking about the boring bits. Still, it was hard to keep the smirk from her face when she heard the wild tales people were spinning to make up for their missing Seeker. I_ took her, _she almost wanted to stand up and boast. _It was little old me who captured the mighty Cassandra Pentaghast. _That, however, would likely cost her head, so she kept her mouth shut on the matter.

The pub was quieting down by the time she'd gotten around to finishing up her pint of ale. By night, the torches burned in the little hovel and the fires glowed in the hearths, and it was her absolute favorite place to be in the castle grounds… save for the bard and her infernal singing. Sera leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers behind her head. All the possible danger around her was putting her in a good mood. She liked the danger.

It was her friend, 'Becca, who soured it. The woman came in from outside, for what exactly Sera didn't know, and was heading for the stairs when she spied Sera in her periphery in the corner of the pub. Her friend did a double take, widened her eyes, then collected herself and put on her best fake smile. Sera tittered quietly into her fist. Alongside danger, she also liked watching people flustered. It made her feel… calm.

"What are you doing!?" 'Becca whispered when she'd casually meandered her way over beside the table. She spoke out of the corner of her mouth as her eyes held vigil on the rest of the room. "Are you mad, Sera? You're supposed to be watching… well, you know who!"

"Don't get your knickers twisted, B, I'm just taking a break is all." She sipped at the last of her ale. "Our new 'friend' is such a bore in her current condition. You know, with her speech impediment and all that." She laughed.

"Well finish up and get back there," 'Becca scolded. "We can't be taking these risk, Sera. Not till we're out of this bloody castle with that woman on the back of a saddle."

"You hear the rumors going about?" Sera asked with a grin. "They think it was a whole _group _that snatched her up. Isn't that something? And here it was just me, all by my lonesome."

'Becca shook her head. "Goodbye, Sera," 'she said as she began moving away from Sera' corner. "Don't be a fool. Get back to that tower." And with that, she slipped back into the crowded section of tables and drinks centered around the bard and sat herself.

Sera stretched her arms and yawned. She waited a few minutes before standing incase one of Leliana's shadows had been watching her and 'Becca talk, then gracefully unfolded from the chair, stuck her thumbs in the hem of her breeches, and sauntered out of the pub whistling a tune decidedly different than the annoying song the bard was singing.

Outside, the cold mountain winds were raking across the battlements and parapets, filling the court yard with a ghastly howl. The walls, however, saved them from the cold, and so Sera had a somewhat pleasant stroll back through the courtyards, down into the wine cellar where she could take a few twists and turns through that labyrinth in case Leliana was having her followed, then quickly through a narrow hall and up a long ladder that spilled her out to the upper walkways of the curtain wall. She folded against a shadowed nook beside the doorway for a bit, waiting again in case she was being followed, but when no one came after her, she crouched low and moved quickly down the walkway toward the crumbling tower at the northwest end. At its entrance, she stole one last look around before slipping inside and locking the door behind her.

Cassandra was, expectedly, where she'd been left: tied down to the master bed in the tower's upper most floor. She was all stretched out into an 'X', her wrists and ankles tied and tethered securely to the bed posts. In addition to the thick knotted bandanna Sera had gagged the woman's mouth shut with, she now sported a blindfold across her eyes as well; not for any particular reason, really, other than Sera wanted to see what the Seeker might look like with a blindfold on, and how she'd react. The look… was sort of attractive. Sera always had a thing for human women with short hair, and for some reason the blindfold seemed to accentuate Cassandra's hair styling. The Seeker's _reaction_ had been as expected, too. She grunted and groaned a bit, then went quiet and refused to so much as acknowledge Sera's existence.

Sera moved to the foot of the bed and looked her prisoner over. Cassandra didn't seem to be sleeping, but her breathing was relaxed. Sera watched the woman's vest-clad chest rise and fall in the moonlight for a while, finding peace in it. Above her head, Cassandra's hands were still clutched into sort of half-fists, and Sera found that amusing. _Even resting, she__'__s ready to strike and punch. What discipline._

"You awake there, Cassie?" She asked. She'd come up with '_Cassie__' _down in the pub, and was just itching to try it out and see the Seeker's reaction. When Cassandra didn't respond, though, Sera frowned and chewed her lip. It was hard to tell anymore if her captive was actually sleeping, or just ignoring her; the two were so similar. "Oh, Cassaaaaandra," she tried softly calling, again to no response. With a sigh, her eyes flicked down the length of the woman's body, her long legs, and landed on her bare feet, tied down in place at either side of the end of the bed. They _were _sort of big, for a woman, but Sera had actually found it kind of cute to see the mighty, impenetrable, shield-bashing, Seeker running around bare footed. It was a nice reminder that beneath all that heavy armor, she was just flesh and bone after all. Sera let her hand fall beside Cassandra's foot, hesitated only long enough to stifle a giggle, and gave the Seeker's sole a little tickle with a wiggle of her fingers.

Cassandra came alive almost immediately, jerking—or at least _trying _to—her legs away and pulling at her bound wrists as she mumbled something into her gag.

"Next time I say your name, you better respond," Sera warned, "because there's _plenty _of more tickling where that came from, and with you all tied down like you are, you're in _perfect _positioning for a good tickling anyway."

"_Mrrrmnph!_" Cassandra snarled, barring her teeth around the knot of the bandanna between them. If she wasn't blindfolded, Sera imagined her eyes would be filled with enough fury to frighten off the Qunari mercenary down in the courtyard.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Sera as she skirted around the corner of the bed and seated herself beside her prisoner's chest on the mattress edge. "Look, I'm bored and I can't sleep just yet, so I'm going to take that muzzle off your mouth. Are you going to be a good little Seeker and chat with me, or should I start warming up my fingers for a good bit of tickling?"

Cassandra shook her head and ground her teeth against her gag, but stayed relatively quiet.

"Start shouting and there'll be consequences, simple as that." Sera reached around the back of her captive's head and loosened the gag enough to pull down around Cassandra's neck.

"Take this damned blindfold off me, too," Cassandra demanded the moment her mouth was free. "There was no point in putting it on me. What? Do you think I haven't seen your _face _yet?"

"Hey, that was almost a joke!" Sera pointed out with a smile. "I like that. Maybe you're finally lightening up a bit."

"Take it off!" Cassandra growled, proving decidedly that she was, in fact, _not _lightening up at all.

"I don't have to," Sera said, crossing her arms against her chest even though the gesture was lost on her blinded prisoner. "And you're in no place to start telling people what to _do_, Seeker. Especially not me."

Cassandra grit her teeth and made a frustrated, throaty sound before punching the mattress with her bound fist.

"Hey, there'll be none of that stuff, neither. I'm not joking around about tickling you. I've tickled before. I'm _good _at it."

"If you put another _finger_ on me, elf, I swear to the Maker… I will hurt you."

Sera responded the only way she knew how. She extended a finger and lowered it to poke the tip of Cassandra's nose. "_Poke. _There. One finger. Now, please, do show me how you're going to 'hurt me' while tied up to a bloody _bed_." She laughed.

Cassandra took a deep breath. Above her head, Sera could see her fists trembling just slightly against the mattress.

"Geez, you really get mad, huh?"

"Mad isn't strong enough a _word_ for what I am with you."

Sera twisted her lips as she watched her prisoner a moment. "Hey, you know what I just noticed? You only call me 'elf' when you get really angry. What's that all about? You have a problem with elves?"

"I have a _problem _with you."

"Me in particular? What about 'Becca? She helped. Hey, for all you know, she could've masterminded this whole thing, and I'm just, like, her unwitting pawn or something. Ever think of that?"

Cassandra licked her lips before pressing them tightly together and laying her head back hard against the mattress. "Would you just leave me be. _Please_. Isn't it enough that you've kidnapped and bound me against my will? That you leave me up here with a rag stuffed in my mouth? Now… what? Are you trying to drive me to madness as well?"

"I'm just trying to chat. I told you. I'm _bored_."

Cassandra looked as if she were going to say something, but halted abruptly and sniffed at the air instead. "Oh, Maker, you've been drinking."

"Only a pint," Sera confessed. "I've had lots of pints before. Barely feel 'em anymore."

The Seeker lied there quietly a moment before asking, "Is there anyway this little 'conversation' or whatever it is will end with me being untied from this Maker-forsaken bed?"

Sera answered honestly, "Nope."

"Then I'm done talking with you. Put the gag back in my mouth if you must and leave me."

"Well, that's no fun." Sera chewed her lip and looked for another option. "What about… oh! I'll take the blindfold off your eyes! How about that?"

Cassandra didn't answer right away, and Sera was nearly certain she was going to refuse the offer, then the Seeker sighed and said, "Fine. Remove it." Sera did at once. When the cloth came away, Cassandra blinked and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the moonlit room. Sera thought she looked quite pretty, but kept the thought to herself. The Seeker's gaze swept her surroundings before landing on Sera and narrowing. "It's cold in here at night."

"I can get you a blanket."

"I was hoping you might consider moving me again. Perhaps… back to the basement, or-"

Sera raised a finger. "Oh, no you don't. I assure you, I'm not as stupid as I look." Sera thought about that sentence and felt chagrin color her cheeks. "Er, you know what I mean! I'm no fool. You just want to be moved around again so you can try another escape. Admit it."

Cassandra sighed. "I… may have been hoping to try and escape you again, yes, but it _is _also cold in here at night." She glanced around. "I suppose a blanket wouldn't be the worse thing to combat it."

Sera nodded, looking her prisoner up and down. "Are your feet cold? I can try and find you some socks or something. I'm sure the Qunari's will fit… probably."

"Don't touch my feet anymore," Cassandra answered immediately. "The blanket will suffice."

Sera grinned, angling a finger her captive's way. "So you _are _ticklish. I thought so."

For the first time, it was Cassandra's cheeks that reddened a bit. "I… I don't…"

Sera laughed. "It's okay to be ticklish, you know. It's not like you _chose _to be or something. What? Does that clash with your 'big tough warrior' image or something?"

"Just… don't touch me anymore."

"I'll try not to, but I'm not promising anything." Sera swung her legs up onto the bed and folded them beneath her. She sat beside her bound prisoner a moment, idly picking at the mattress. "See, we _can _get along… if you'd just be nice to me every once in awhile."

"Nice to you?" Cassandra frowned. "You have me tied down to a _bed_!"

"Alright, can you get over the whole 'poor me' thing already? Yes, I've kidnapped you. I admitted it already. You don't have to keep reminding me. It's not like I'm selling you off into slavery or something, I'm just borrowing you for a bit and then returning you. You're a Seeker of Truth, for crying out loud! You've _had _to have gone through worse than _this_."

Cassandra stared at her a moment with her mouth hung slight agape. Then she closed it, sighed, and laid her head back. After that, a silence fell over the room until she said, "I… suppose I have."

_Well there__'__s a start, _Sera thought, biting her lip to conceal a smile. "See? Not so bad when you put it in perspective, is it? Stop thinking about it as a kidnapping and start seeing it as… I don't know, like a vacation or something. No swords being swung at your head, no darkspawn crawling out of a hole in the ground to squeeze your eyeballs out of their sockets, no traveling around on those smelly horses that leave your thighs chaffed and sore. Just a little rope and some conversation with an elf you don't care for all that much. Not so bad, right?"

Cassandra took a deep breath. "…no. I suppose it's… not the worst thing imaginable."

"There you go. Now, can we talk a bit? I want to ask you some questions?"

Cassandra raised a brow. "Questions? For me? What questions?"

Sera bit her lip. "Have you… ever been with an elf? Like… _been _with one? Together? …in the bedroom?"

The Seeker's eyes widened incredulously as she grimaced and recoiled from Sera. "What is the _matter _with you?"

"Huh? What?"

"There is, isn't there? There is something just _wrong _with your head that prevents you from having a normal conversation with someone. Who I… the people I've… it's no business of yours, and… I…"

Sera put her hands up. "Wow, geez, sorry. If I knew you were going to respond like _that_, I wouldn't have asked. I was just curious is all."

"Why?" The Seeker demanded. "Why in Thedas would you be curious about _that_ of all things?"

Sera shrugged. "It interests me." She scratched her chin. "Is it because I specifically asked about an elf? That's it, isn't it? Yeah, I shouldn't have gone right for the elf thing. Alright, how about this, have you ever been with a _woman_?"

"Gag me," Cassandra demanded immediately. "For the Maker's mercy, gag me and go. I'm finished talking with you."

"I don't see why you're acting like this," said Sera, genuinely dumbfounded. "All I did was ask a question. You can just say 'I don't want to answer that' instead of flipping out and acting like some stupid idiot."

Cassandra stared at her, slowly shaking her head as her eyes filled with understanding. "I should have known."

"…known? Known what?"

"You… you _desire _me. That's why you linger around me and talk endlessly and make your jokes. You're teasing me because you…" She squinted. "You desire me. Admit it."

Sera shrugged. "Well, I mean I do think you're sort of attractive. And I am, admittedly, into human woman, especially ones with strength and courage and all them bits. Sure. But you're wound up _way _too tight for someone like me anyway. You don't laugh, you don't smile, you don't joke, you're feet are huge. Really, you're not my type at all."

The Seeker did not seem convinced. She went on shaking her head and sneering. "I should have figured it out sooner. Binding me, gagging me, blindfolding me, hauling me around wherever you want on a whim… you get a rise out of it all, don't you? This… _power _over me?"

Sera nodded. "Well, yeah. It's fun. And you're cute when you're angry. You should see it, you get this little bump right between your eyebrows." She laughed.

Cassandra looked around the room. "And now you've brought up in this little room and tied me down to a bed." She swallowed. "What, exactly, are your intentions with me?"

"If you don't knock it off, my intentions are going to _gag_ you again," Sera explained. "Calm yourself down. If I wanted you like that, I would have _had _you like that by now. I mean, really, look at you. It's not like you could exactly stop me from… _exploring _you if I wanted."

Cassandra barred her teeth and tightened her fists. "If you lay just one of your filthy fingers on me… one day, I _will _break them, elf. I promise you that."

Sera rolled her eyes. "Alright. You're getting muzzled again. You get all sorts of crazy when your mouth's been off its leash for too long." She leaned over and started readying the gag. "And here we were, having a nice decent conversation for once."

"Until _you _brought up your nonsense sexual questions," Cassandra pointed out. "Foolish, immature, elf…"

Sera paused with the gag just about ready to be crammed back in the Seeker's big mouth. "Apologize."

"What?"

"I'm not foolish, and I'm no more 'immature' than you are, you prude. So apologize."

Cassandra raised her chin a bit. "I will not. Not ever. Not to _you_."

Sera smirked. "Then if you won't apologize, I'm going to kiss you on your mouth."

That wiped the smug look off the Seeker's face right quick. Her eyes widened incredulously. "_What_!?"

"You heard me. If you refuse to apologize to me, I'm going to kiss you. So what's it going to be?"

For a moment, Cassandra only stared up at her, nonplussed. She struggled for words, found none, tried again. Finally, she managed to croak, "I… I have nothing to apologize _for_! It was _you _who kidnapped _me_, I don't see-"

Sera leaned down, closed her eyes, and kissed Cassandra's lips. It was brief, but sweet. When she pulled away, she quickly slipped the gag back between the Seeker's teeth and pulled it tight to shut the woman up before she could start telling Sera what a 'fool' she was or something. Cassandra bit the gag and fixed Sera with an apoplectic glare as it was knotted in place. Sera only grinned.

"There," she chirped, pulling the last knot tight. "Back the way I think I prefer you: _quiet_." She patted the Seeker's cheek. "Now I'm going to catch some sleep. _You__'__re _going to lie there and not make a bloody sound, because if you do and I wake up? I'll kiss you again."

Cassandra stared at her, an expression of horror frozen to her face.

"You can spend your down time thinking about that kiss," Sera told her as she slid down in her chair to get more comfortable and kicked her feet up on the bed. "Maybe you'll decide you sort of liked it." She opened one eye and smirked. "I know I did." And with that, Sera leaned back, rested her head on her shoulder, and fell asleep shortly after feeling about as good as she had in a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Night had long since fallen when the elf and her little accomplice swung the door in and entered the room together, moving with an urgency and decidedness that betrayed the almost casual way they'd gone about her kidnapping up to that point. Cassandra lifted her head from the mattress at once and squinted shrewdly between her two captors as they flanked the sides of the bed she was so frustratingly bound to. She balled her hands to fists and tugged at her binds, but the action was more instinctual than purposeful; Cassandra had spent more than enough time over the last day trying to break free of her bondage to know how utterly futile the effort was. The ropes were strong, the ties and knots solid, and the unfortunate reality was that she wasn't going _any_where without her captors' say so.

Sera twisted her lips as she hovered beside the bed, looking Cassandra over. "Alright then, Seeker. Word's come in from some Friends outside the walls. Your 'admirer' is ready to get a look at you. It's time to get this show on the road. Are you going to play nice? Or must you be knocked unconscious with a good sleep potion or two?"

Cassandra could only glare; the elf hadn't bothered removing her gag in quite some time.

"Let's just put her out and be done with it, Sera," 'Becca said, folding her arms against her chest and drumming her fingers. "Look into that woman's eyes. She carries as much fury as ever. She won't make this easy."

"And who says it'll be any easier lugging her unconscious body around between us?" Sera asked. "I don't know if you've noticed, B, but the two of us aren't exactly the strongest of the lot in this castle, are we? And I'm an elf. The heaviest thing I pick up on the daily are my arrows." She looked back to Cassandra and grinned. "The Seeker will behave herself. I've got a secret weapon to use against her anyway if she don't." The elf puckered her lips and made a kissing sound.

Cassandra felt her cheeks warm and color. She averted her eyes and did what she could to forget _that _particular incident had ever happened.

Becca sighed. "If we march her out of here conscious, you better have a _damned _good trick up your sleeve for keeping her tame, Sera. If we get caught…"

"Yeah, yeah. If we get caught they'll string you up by your teets and me up by my big pointy ears. I haven't forgotten." The elf sat on the edge of the mattress and gazed into Cassandra's eyes. "Muzzle's coming off, love. Shout and… well, you know the consequences for that, don't you?"

Again, Cassandra could only avert her eyes and act as if she hadn't heard the elf's interminable teasing. _I didn__'__t _choose _to kiss her, _she thought in attempt to alleviate the uncomfortable stirring Sera had woken in her belly. She_ kissed _me_. Against my will. I had nothing to do with it. _The elf tittered, leaned near, and loosened her gag enough to pull from between her lips. Cassandra opened her mouth to angrily reprimand her captor, but Sera angled a finger her way and raised a brow, as if to say '_watch your tongue_'. Cassandra swallowed, composed herself, and started again with forced calmness. "Where are you taking me?"

"Away from here," Sera answered. "That's all you need to know."

"How?"

"We're going to bind your hands up in front of you, then untie you from this bed and march you down to the stables. You're going to hop on a saddle, I'm going to hop on behind you, then we're going to simply ride right out the front gate." Sera leaned a bit closer and frowned. "And you're not going to do a _thing_ but sit still and keep your big trap shut while we do."

"I see. I understand then. I will… cooperate," Cassandra lied, already plotting how she might be able to turn the situation to her advantage.

"You _are _going to cooperate, my dear Seeker, because if you don't, and the three of us get caught? We're making a run for it. How do you think them archers on the wall's aim is? Good enough not to put an arrow in your arse as I'm galloping off with you saddled beside me?"

"I told you I'll cooperate."

"I know what you told me, but you're a poor liar, and you're not the type to give in so easily anyway." The elf smirked. "I sort of like that about you, actually."

Even looking into Sera's big olive eyes made her feel tense and strange, so Cassandra looked to her other kidnapper instead. "And what will this one be doing?"

"None of your business," 'Becca snapped. "Now, come on, Sera. We've squandered enough time already. Let's get her trussed up and be on with this."

And so they did. The two worked together to unbind Cassandra's wrists from the bed posts, but were quick to wrestle them back together in her lap and wrap them up in ropes against one another. Cassandra struggled, more out of pride than anything, but the two women outmatched her. They got her hands tied up tight before circling her arms and torso with the rest of the rope, ensuring she had the smallest amount of movement available before moving on. They untied her ankles next and Sera jammed her iron-toed boots back on her feet; Cassandra noted, however, the elf stayed well out of kicking range as she worked. _She learned her lesson last time. _When Cassandra's legs were freed, and she was left sitting on the edge of the mattress with only her hands and arms immobilized, she was overcome with the sudden urge to fight her kidnappers off with everything she had, but Sera, as if reading her mind, was quick to put a doubt in her mind. The elf shook her head and slid her leather jerkin aside to reveal a dagger sheathed at her hip. Cassandra strongly doubted the elf would use it… but the effect took its toll nonetheless. She was no match for a blade without use of her hands.

"Now get up," Becca commanded, tugging impatiently at her arm.

Cassandra rose to her feet and eyed the woman, a bit shorter than herself, up and down. "When I am free, don't think you won't be held accountable for this… treachery against me. You're as much a criminal as the elf. You will be treated as such."

The woman smirked. "You don't frighten me, Seeker Cassandra. By the time we let you go, _if _we let you go at all, we'll be long gone. You'll never see us again."

"Gone?" Cassandra forced a smile of her own. "Gone where? Ferelden? Orlais? Antiva? Where do you think you can run to that's safe from both the Inquisition's pursuit as _well _as the rifts and the demons and abominations they spawn? These are troubled times for all of Thedas. You will find no haven. You _will _be caught. If I were you, I'd hope it was by the demons and not me."

Becca's eyes flittered uncertainly a moment before she barred her teeth and looked to Sera. "I've already had enough of her mouth. Gag her. She speaks nothing but nonsense."

"Silencing me won't change the truth of my words. You know that. And you're afraid."

"_Gag _her already, Sera!"

Sera stepped in front of her with a bundled up cloth pinched between her fingers. "Right then. Open up, love."

Cassandra stared at the elf only long enough to let her know the threat applied to her as well, then did as she was instructed. Sera bunched up and jammed the whole cloth inside her mouth before reaching for a second cloth hung from her waistband and bringing it up to tie tightly around Cassandra's lower face, the folds reaching from below her nose to her chin. The end result was a gag that, Cassandra could tell at once, would keep her far more quiet… quiet enough to smuggle out of the castle even if she was, perhaps, overcome with the sudden urge to start shouting and yelling.

"Not so mouthy now, are you?" Becca taunted, but when Cassandra narrowed her eyes on the woman, she shrunk away.

Sera unfolded something drab and brown that Cassandra mistook for a blanket before the elf shook it out to reveal a long cloak. She pulled it down over Cassandra's head, picking and pulling at the loose bits to tidy them up as she made it snug. When Cassandra was wrapped up within, the elf pulled a heavy hood up from behind the thing's shoulders that draped just slightly down across her brow. "There," Sera chirped with a toothy grin as she adjusted the hood. "Can hardly tell who we've got stashed under all that cloak… save for them big stompers your walking around on, of course." The elf fixed her grin on Cassandra, but when the gesture was met only with a hard stare, the elf simply shrugged and took her by the arm. "Alright. I believe it's long past time we kidnapped ourselves a Seeker, don't you think?"

Without another word, her two captors flanked her sides and got hold of her arms. They guided her outside the bedroom, down the short twist of stairs hugging the tower wall, and almost to the entranceway outside before the elf halted them, fished a final strip of cloth from her waistband, and worked it up inside the hood of Cassandra's cloak, tying it tight around her eyes, blindfolding her.

"_Mrrmnm__…_" Cassandra protested as her vision was taken from her.

"Quiet," Becca's voice scolded in her left ear. "Sera, you can't be letting her make no noise out there. If she attracts attention…"

"I'll give her a good pinch," Sera finished with a stifled laugh. "Seekers hate pinches. Read about it in a book once."

"Sera…"

"She'll behave. If she don't…" The elf made a kissing sound close enough beside Cassandra's ear to feel her captor's warm breath tickling at her neck. Cassandra grunted and recoiled, but Sera get a firm grip on her upper arm, pulling her back beside her. "There'll be none of that, neither. Unless you want to be hogtied and tossed over the _back _of the saddle, of course. Don't think that'll be much of a comfortable ride down the mountain path though. So what's it going to be? Will you behave yourself like a good little prisoner?"

Cassandra had to tighten her fists to keep her temper under control as she swallowed her pride and forced a nod of her head.

"Good. Then let's go."

The door was opened, the cold night air swept inside the tower, and Cassandra was led in the darkness of her blindfold out onto the curtain wall. By night, the winds screamed as they raked down the mountainside, adding deafness to Cassandra's growing list of impairments. Sera tugged at her arm and she got her feet moving nonetheless. As they walked, even without her eyes it wasn't difficult for Cassandra to 'see' the castle. She knew when the first turn in the path was coming, knew when the first flight of stairs lowered them a bit to the inner wall, and knew just when the door to the upper stables had arrived. It was part of her duty to know the ins and outs of the castle. Despite all the things she 'knew', though, she was as helpless as ever. Sera kept her pinned tight against her own body, and the ropes binding her arms and wrists beneath the cloak kept her mobility at an absolute minimum. She kept stride with the elf, but if Sera were to release her, Cassandra did not doubt she might stumble and fall. _And wouldn__'__t that be a sight to see? _She thought bitterly. _The woman who raised the Inquisition alongside the Herald of Andraste, tripping over her own two feet and unable to stand again without aid._

The temperature warmed considerably when they passed through a doorway, but it was only a short flight of stairs and a brief trek through a hall before the coldness of the stables greeted them again. Cassandra could hear the horses' hooves clopping intermittently, the occasional sway of a tail, twice, a creature snorting or shaking out its mane. The sounds reminded her of riding, of travel, adventuring… freedom. She twisted her wrists against her ropes and sighed into her gag.

"Alright, love," Sera began quietly, "you're going to swing them long legs of yours over the saddle after you climbed up this bench thingy here in front of you. Feel it out, find it, then get moving."

Cassandra, without any other option presenting itself, obeyed. She tested the ground before her with the toe of her boot, finding the 'bench thingy' Sera had mentioned before carefully shuffling forth a bit and climbing it. She ascended what must have been close to a meter before Sera tugged at her forearm, halting her.

"Alright, good, good. Now right leg, Seeker. Take her up high like you're a dog lookin' for a piss." The elf snickered at her own immature example.

Cassandra ignored her captor's foolishness, opting instead to focus carefully on the task before her so as not to slip and break her neck. She lifted her leg a bit and brushed the horse's side with her knee. She readjusted her footing, leaned back, tried again. This time, the heel of her boot slid against the leather saddle, so she lifted it a bit higher and slung her whole leg sideways. The saddle slid between her legs as her weight lowered atop the mount, and Cassandra breathed easy.

"Not bad," Sera commended from below. "We could make a traveling show out of this bit, I think. We could call it "_The Beautiful Sera and Her Amazing Blind Horse-Mounter Lady_". Or… maybe something catchier. I don't know. You can think of it while we ride." Cassandra felt the elf take hold of her hip, then swing her own leg over the saddle. Sera mounted behind her, her legs, crotch, and torso pressing against Cassandra's backside as the elf slid forward and brought her arms around to take the horse's reigns. "Oh, I do like this position we're in. It's… warm."

Cassandra shook her head in disgust.

"Oh, don't give me that. I know you like it too." The elf slid even closer up behind her and wrapped one skinny arm around her waist. "This is how we'd ride if you were, like, my girlfriend or something, you know. I'd take you out, across the countryside, my arms around you, kissing at your neck." She laughed. "Of course, we'd have to keep a gag on you anyway, or you'd go and ruin the whole thing with your big stupid mouth, wouldn't you?" When Cassandra chose not to respond, Sera continued, "Fine. Have it your way. I prefer the silent treatment right now anyway. Stay quiet until we've gone a good bit down the mountain. Then, if I'm feeling generous, I'll take your muzzle off so we can talk. Sound good?" Again, Cassandra simply ignored her captor's grating voice, and Sera whispered, "You better nod your head or shake it or something, love, or I'm going to tickle your sides." A finger poked at her ribs.

"_Hrmnph!_" Cassandra grunted a protest. "_Mnmmnmmm-__"_

Sera's hand clamped over her mouth. "_Shhh_," the elf whispered between giggles. "I'm just playing with you. Calm yourself down. We're riding."

So they rode. Cassandra felt the horse's momentum begin to build and shift as Sera, obviously, was getting the creature turned around and moving for the court yard. They trotted forward a bit before the winds picked up, and the hooves below them were no longer beating against straw and wood, but hard stone. Sera's legs pinched and spurred them on to a canter, and it was at that speed they stayed as Cassandra visualized the path through the castle's interior towards the main gates. _Maker, let someone see this madness, _she silently prayed. _Let someone see and call the elf and her friend in for questioning. If they take me beyond the portcullis__… _But she couldn't bring herself to consider that. Not yet. For if that were to happen… she was good as captured, and in the hands of the elf.

They rode on a bit more, and still no voices called for a halt. With every beat of the horse's hooves, Cassandra felt her heart drumming against her chest in stride. When she felt the fall of land beneath them dip, and heard the creak of an opening gate, her instincts took over and she began to struggle, writhing about between the elf's arms, grunting and mumbling beneath her gag.

"_Quiet,_" Sera hissed, using one of her arms to wrap Cassandra up and still her movement. "_Calm down!_"

But Cassandra had no intentions of 'calming down'. Quite the opposite. The stretch of bridge separating Skyhold from the mountain path was her last chance to escape her captors before they'd successfully stolen her, and so when the winds came harder than ever, shrieking across the wide open chasm of sky, Cassandra knew they'd reached it. She threw her weight sideways in effort to fling herself from the horse. A broken arm or leg from the fall would heal; if she was kidnapped, it was possible she'd never return alive. Sera countered the attempt, however. The elf grabbed her shoulder, digging her fingers in hard against the soft flesh there and yanking her back to center over the saddle. Cassandra grunted and tried twisting loose the other way, but Sera countered again.

"_I knew I should have hogtied you,_" Sera growled, wrestling to keep Cassandra's writhing under control. "_Stupid idiot! Stop squirming!_"

Cassandra did not, but when she heard the horse's hooves pass from stone back to dirt, quieting considerably as they did, the fight drained from her anyway; despite her struggles, they had made it beyond the bridge. She roared into her gag and bucked her hips one final time, but it did nothing to unhorse Sera. The fall of land melded to a long slope, and then, finally, Cassandra gave up her struggling. _They have taken me,_ she thought with a sense of despair. _Sweet Andraste, they__'__ve kidnapped me. I will find no help from here on. _She tightened her fists. _So I will have to make my _own _help._

Sera spurred them to a gallop, and they rode on like that for quite some time through the night without a word spoken; the castle shrinking further and further away behind them as they went. Only the unknown lied in wait for Cassandra then…

But she intended to be ready for it when it came.


	4. Chapter 4

Stupid Paul and his stupid horse came trotting up the path just after dusk, when the day's last vestige of light was nothing more than a soft purple crown atop the mountains in the West. Sera didn't like Paul, though it wasn't because he was stupid. He also happened to be annoying, pretentious, and had Becca swooning over every little stupid thing he stupidly did. _Arseface, _Sera thought when Paul flashed his little smile her way in greeting, dismounted, and embraced Becca in his arms. The two started rambling on about, well, _some_thing. Sera made sure to tune them out as quickly as possible as she sauntered off back towards the bonfire they'd started. The flames blazing the sticks and dry leaves within were dancing from the cold winds rolling off the mountainside, casting flickering shadows in an arc around their little forest clearing. At the edge of the clearing, their prisoner sat.

They'd bound Cassandra seated on the ground, with her back pressed against the bark of a big tree and a bundle of rope wrapping her up tightly to it. Her hands laid tied in her lap; her long legs stretched before her and bound at the ankles. The upper half of her face was hidden away under a blindfold, the lower remained wrapped up beneath the gag. It made the Seeker look… very vulnerable. _And sort of sexy, _Sera mused with a grin as she plopped herself down beside the woman, folding her legs gracefully beneath her.

"Stupid Paul's here."

Cassandra's head turned just slightly in her direction. Otherwise, you would've never known the Seeker had heard her at all.

"He's one of the friends. Of Red Jenny, that is. I don't much care for him, in truth, but… Becca just _loooves _him, and we needed a third anyway just incase our 'interested party' at the meeting location gets any funny ideas." Sera ran her fingers down the side of her quiver. "'Course, an arrow will fix that right quick." Cassandra shifted a bit in her ropes, but remained otherwise statuesque and silent. "Hey, you've had that rag stuffed in your mouth for a good bit now. You want a drink of water or something?"

The Seeker hesitated, sighed, but eventually nodded.

Sera retrieved a canteen from one of the horse saddles and returned. "We're in the woods," she explained as she reached for the knot of her prisoner's muzzle, "but that don't mean you can go shouting and hollering all you want. Raise your voice, even a teeny tiny bit, and I'll shut you right back up again. Understand?" Cassandra nodded and Sera worked the gag loose before plucking the wadded up cloth from inside her captive's mouth, considerably more damp than when she'd first put it in. "_Eck_. I'll have to fetch you a new one of these, too." She twisted the cap off the canteen and carefully guided the nozzle against Cassandra's bottom lip. The Seeker took long swallows, Sera watching her throat move up and down as she did, and came away licking at her lips and gasping when the canteen was moved aside.

"…thank you," she croaked as Sera dabbled at her chin with the sleeve of her blouse.

"Thank you? Well there's a nice bit of courtesy after all them threats you were making the last time I allowed you to speak."

"There is no point in fighting with you anymore," Cassandra explained. "You've stolen me from the castle. I have no idea where I am. And now, apparently, I am outnumbered three against one." She paused, meekly twisted her wrists against the ropes binding them, and asked, "Would you remove my blindfold as well?"

"Nope. Keeping you in the dark for awhile longer, love, sorry. I know. It's shite. But I don't trust that little 'defeatism' act you've got going on at all, and I prefer you not knowing your surroundings."

"I am bound hand and foot and tied to a tree. Surely, you don't expect me to-"

"I _expect _you to be thankful I even removed your gag after that little stunt you pulled on the bridge back at Skyhold," Sera interjected, the thought of it still rousing her anger a bit. "If you'd gotten us caught with all that writhing about you were doing atop the horse, I would have lost my head for it. Not very nice, Seeker. Not very nice at all."

Cassandra sighed. "I had to try. It was my last chance to escape you. Now… now I'm not sure _what_ is to become of me."

"I _told _you this already. Don't you listen to me? We'll be showing you off to our noble pig's agent, then when we're sure he's going to show up to our little sabotage get-together, I'm sending you back on your merry way to Skyhold and your precious Inquisition. So cheer up, love. You'll be rid of me soon enough." In truth, Sera had been thinking of that since they'd set up camp. Her and Cassandra's time together was just about over. It sort of made her sad. "You'll finally get your wish, I guess. You won't ever have to see me again."

Cassandra's expression, what could be seen of it beneath her blindfold at least, hardened. "We will see about that, I suppose. I have no intentions of forgetting _or _forgiving what you've done to me."

Sera had to laugh. "You know, if you actually _want _me to let you go at some point, you might want to consider _lying _next time I tell you I'm letting you go free and saying '_Oh, gee, thank you, Sera. I vow never to come after you for all this kidnapping stuff. All is forgiven!__'_. Your little threats are only making me want to stash you in, like, a sack and flee to the Free Marches or something."

"I am a Seeker of Truth. I do not _lie_."

"Well, you should give it a try sometime. It's fun."

Cassandra scoffed. "_Fun_. The most important thing in the world to you, obviously."

Sera rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored the jab. She looked her prisoner over, her eyes lingering on the woman's long legs. They were shapely, fit, legs, and Sera had a sudden desire to touch them. With a grin, she laid a hand on the Seeker's thigh.

Cassandra jerked a bit in her ropes, but they kept her still for the most part. "Please don't touch me."

"That ride down the mountain was a bit bumpy, wasn't it? I know my thighs got a little sore, but _yours_… with all them ropes keeping you from adjusting your riding position? Your poor legs must have gotten chafed raw, huh?"

Cassandra's mouth tightened. "Sera, remove your hand from my leg…"

"Hush, or its the gag for you again. I just want to help, anyways."

"Help by leaving me be. I wish to be alone. I'd… I'd like to rest."

"Well, I'll help you relax then." She slipped her fingers down between the Seeker's thighs and rubbed a little circle there with her knuckles, massaging her captive's leg.

"Sera…"

"Quiet. If you tell me to stop again, you're getting muzzled. Now just relax. I'm doing you a favor, you know. Some people actually appreciate them when they're offered." _Some people who don__'__t have a divine stick shoved up their divine arse all the bloody time, _she thought. She worked her other hand between the Seeker's long legs and started used her thumbs to press deeply and rub tight circles up and down, back and forth, covering as much thigh as she could with Cassandra's legs all bound up together.

The Seeker was stiff at first, tensing and squirming at every little poke and rub of Sera's fingers, but as the massage went on, Sera saw the woman's posture ease up a bit. Once, she even thought she heard the slightest of moans escape the Seeker's throat, but it was there and gone in a heartbeat, and then only Becca and Paul's rambling and the quiet stir of the wind against the grass played on into the night again. Cassandra pulled a deep breath and 'suffered' through a good few minutes of her massage in, thankfully, silence.

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying this, you know," Sera told her as she moved her hands up to the tops of Cassandra's legs and rubbed her just above the knees. "It's just a little massage."

"A massage _forced_ upon me… by my _kidnapper_…" Cassandra added dryly.

"I could _force _a lot more on you, if I wanted. But I haven't, and I'm not planning on it. So be thankful." She chewed her lip. "And you're sure you're not just being such a prude because of the whole elf thing, right?"

"Maker's breath, for the last time _no_," Cassandra snapped. "I don't care what anyone is born as. I care only what they make themselves into."

Sera liked that answer quite a bit, but pressed the Seeker anyway. "…then, is it because I'm female? Got the slit instead of the stick? Because you might-"

"Sera, just stop. I don't care that you're an elf. I don't care that you're female. I do prefer the company of men for the most part, but there are women that… and I… there's…" The Seeker sighed. "Oh, what does it matter? I don't like you because you're _you_. Putting _aside _the fact that you deceived me, knocked me unconscious with a potion, bound me, kidnapped me, have _endlessly _taunted and teased me… even if I were to forget all that, you're still you. You're frivolous and immature and impulsive, you take nothing seriously, you're-"

Sera reached across the gap between them and clamped her hand over the Seeker's mouth. "Alright, I get it. I'm shite. I don't need a bloody list."

When she removed her hand, Cassandra added, "Clearly, you do. For you've been all of those things since I first met you, and haven't changed in the slightest since."

Sera frowned. "Why would I change? I'm me, and I like me. What do I care if I ruffle the feathers of some pretentious Seeker with a stick up her arse ever now and then?" She removed her hands from Cassandra's legs and stood. Her skin felt hot and itchy, and she suddenly found herself wanting to be rid of the woman's company. She turned to leave, got three steps, spun back and pointed a finger down at her blindfolded prisoner. "And I'm not frivolous anyway." She wasn't sure what 'frivolous' meant, truly, but it sounded stupid. "_You__'__re _frivolous. You're pretty much, like, the _most _frivolous. So… there." She turned to leave again, made it two steps this time, and turned back. "Ah, almost forgot." She marched back, knelt beside Cassandra, and jammed the wadded up cloth back in the woman's mouth before tying the second cloth around her lower face. Cassandra grunted and grumbled as Sera pulled the ends hard and knotted them. "There we are. Tight enough, love?"

"_Mrnmmnm__…_"

Sera patted her cheek. "Good. Now, while you're sitting there, you can stat thinking of your apology to me. 'Cause I want one. And it better be a good one, too, or I'm kissing you again." She chewed her lip as she looked the Seeker over, a grin gradually tugging at the corner of her lips. "And this time, I'm going to use my _tongue_."

Cassandra jerked at her binds. "_Hrmph!_"

"Quiet, love, you need to focus and start thinking up that apology." Sera made a kissing sound beside her prisoner's ear, snickered, and left.

Becca and Stupid Paul were still engaged in whatever rambling thing they'd been going on about when Sera took her leave of them. She sauntered up between the two and folded her arms against her chest, halting their conversation and drawing their eyes her way. Stupid Paul had a stupid look on his face, and Sera avoided him altogether as she spoke. "What's the word, B?"

Becca answered, "Our Nevarran prince has agreed to send his agent closer than we'd thought. We can meet up with him just west of the Hinterlands. A day's ride. Maybe less."

"Good news, for once," said Sera.

"I'd like to be on with this," Paul interjected. "Becca and I have discussed it already, Sera. We both want to leave tonight instead of camping. If we ride hard and send a crow ahead of us, this meet-up can be finished by morning."

The man's breath was foul when he spoke, prompting Sera to wince and lean away from him as she listened. "Fine by me, but thanks for including me in the discussion, anyways." Her eyes moved to Becca's and narrowed.

"You were too busy with your Seeker girlfriend over there," Becca teased with a grin. "We didn't want to interrupt. I guess you don't know yet, Paul. Sera here has a little crush on our prisoner. It's just _adorable_."

"Shut up," Sera growled, shoving her friend's shoulder. "It's not a crush, stupid."

"If you say so, Sera. Just seems like you can't keep your hands off the woman since we've had her."

Stupid Paul laughed stupidly. "Just keep your hands off Becca and we won't have a problem." He took Becca by the arm and pulled her in for an obnoxiously long kiss.

Sera grimaced. "Yuck. Look, are we riding or not? Because if I have to watch _that _happen again, I might be too sick to seat a horse."

"We're riding," Paul answered. He looked to Cassandra. "I can take the prisoner on my horse. I'm bigger than you, Sera. Stronger. It only makes sense, no? Unless…" he shared a sly grin with Becca, "you want her to yourself."

Sera rolled her eyes. "I've already bound and kidnapped the woman. I'm not cruel enough to subject her to your stinking _breath_ too, Paul. She rides with me." Without waiting for a reply, Sera turned and eagerly took her leave of the other Jennies. At the tree again, she knelt and started untying Cassandra from the tree. "Right then. On the road again, it seems. You going to behave yourself?"

Cassandra nodded.

"'Cause you know, last time you indicated you were going to be a good little prisoner, you lied, so I guess you Seekers _do _tell your little fibs from time to time, huh? Either way, I've a good mind to just hogtie your arse and toss you over the back of the saddle. What do you think of that, love?"

Cassandra, obviously, could not respond. She shifted around a bit as the ropes came loose from her torso, but remained otherwise silent.

Sera sighed. "Right… whatever. I don't have the heart for it, even _after _all that 'frivolous' talk before. On your feet then, Seeker. Let's get you on our big beastie." She aided the woman to a stand, cut her ankles loose, then walked her over to the horses. Getting her mounted atop their courser was a much easier task than the last time they'd done so. _She learns quick, _Sera thought, watching Cassandra get herself seated without use of her arms, hands, or eyes. She hopped up behind the woman and scooted close to her backside. "Our final ride," she said, taking the reigns around the Seeker's arms. "I know, tragic and all, but be strong. Try to hold back the tears. You've still got an apology to think up or you're getting a nice, big, wet one on the lips when we arrive at our destination."

"_Mrmnmm__…_" Cassandra groaned.

"There's the spirit!" Sera dug her heels into the courser's sides, spurring them to a canter to catch up with Becca and Paul a bit further down the path. She rode right between the two of them, close enough for her horse's tail to swat at Stupid Paul, found a comfortable riding distance out in front of the couple, and stayed there for the whole ride throughout the night. Cassandra, this time, held true to her word, sitting quietly and without struggle the entire way. At a point, when their horse was on the straight and narrow down a wooded path, Sera released one of the reigns and took Cassandra by the waist. The Seeker stiffened at first, but did not fight to remove it, and it was like that they rode the last stretch of travel towards their destination.

* * *

It was just before dawn when they reached the cave. It was a boring old unassuming cave, but that sort was just the sort you'd want for an inconspicuous meeting anyway, so Sera had no complaints. They rode beneath a natural arch of rock, just starting to turn a ruddy red as the day's first light came creeping over the mountains in the East, and down a gently sloping fall of land, at the end of which the path grew thick with weeds and vines, and the cave entrance peeked out of the earth like some big, great, gaping maw, complete with a few jagged stone teeth hanging from its upper lip. A slight shiver took Sera's spin as she rode beneath the 'teeth', and she quickly used her free arm to wrap Cassandra a little tighter against herself.

The cave was cavernous; high ceilinged and wide walled, with a few spires jutting up here and there. It was dark, too, until Paul rode in, dismounted, and set to planting a few torches around the perimeter. At the rear of the cave, a few cracked barrels and an upturned table of rotting wood lay in ruin, and it was there Sera led her horse to dismount and tie. Stupid Paul and Becca followed suit, then the three worked together to get Cassandra unseated and down to the cave floor.

"If our crow flew true, the prince's agent will be here shortly," Paul explained.

"Who picked this place for the meetup?" Sera asked, glancing about the cave.

Paul jabbed a thumb proudly against his chest. "I did, of course."

"Figured. Not the best choice for having to flee should our pig's piglet bring a small army with him and decide the three of us each have one head too many above our shoulders, is it?"

Paul laughed in his stupid way. "An army? For what? _Her_?" He gestured to Cassandra, standing idly by with her arms, wrist, eyes, and mouth locked away in her restraints. "With the Dive Justinia dead, and the chantry in decline, these Seekers of Truth are a dying breed. All of Thedas knows it. I'm just surprised our little Nevarran Prince was interested at all."

"There won't be no trouble," Becca agreed.

"There better not be," Sera warned, "because if there is, we're stuffed up in this bloody hole in the earth with nowhere to run. This was a stupid place to choose."

Paul frowned and looked ready to argue, but Becca took hold of his arm and shook her head, and that seemed to placate the big oaf's frustration. The two walked arm-in-arm off towards the upturned table and salvaged two chairs from the wreckage. Sera, gladly, took Cassandra by the arm and went off in the opposite direction. She found a barrel that looked sturdy enough and helped the Seeker lean against it.

"Looks like I got you here in one piece after all. Told you I would. Was it really so bad?"

Cassandra grunted and began moving her jaw about.

"What? You want to say something?"

She nodded.

"Well… alright, but the first thing out of that big mouth of yours better be 'I'm sorry', or, well, you _will _be sorry." She reached around the Seeker's head and untied the gag, then plucked the second cloth from the woman's mouth.

"Sera, listen to me," she began.

"That doesn't sound like an apology to me."

"Fine, I'm sorry. There. Happy? Now, listen, you-"

"Not sincere enough," Sera interrupted. "You actually _want_ me to kiss you, don't you? Wait… do you?" She asked hopefully.

The Seeker sighed. "Listen, one of your friends said you were in contact with a 'Nevarran Prince' before. Did I hear that correctly? Is that truly who seeks to purchase me?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. _Maybe_ I should have wrapped your _ears _up in a cloth, too, you eavesdropping little Seeker, you."

"Sera, I have a very bad feeling about this," Cassandra plowed on; her voice sounding uncharacteristically a bit unnerved. "I… I mean, my family… we were Nevarran royalty once ourselves. Well, the Pentaghasts still are, technically. Including me."

"Alright. So?"

"So… so there may be enemies of my family, or… Maker, I don't know. I just don't have a good feeling about this. Look, would you be willing to untie my hands and arm me? There are three of you and one of me. What harm could I do?"

Sera twisted her lips. "Hmm… you with a sword? Quite a good bit of harm, I'd imagine. I seen you take the head off that training dummy the day I nabbed you. Scary stuff, Seeker."

"Sera, for _once_, take me seriously."

"What is she blabbering on about?" Paul questioned, moving quickly across the gap between them. "Why is she not gagged?"

"She wanted to talk, so I let her talk. Piss off, Paul," Sera said.

"I want her quiet," Paul retorted. "She might scare off the agent when he arrives if she starts flapping her gums. Silence her."

"Sera, please," Cassandra interjected, twisting at her bound wrists. "I can't overpower the three of you. Just arm me incase things go poorly."

Becca laughed, joining in beside Paul. "Now she wants a bloody _sword_, too? That's just grand. Out of my way, Sera, I'll gag her myself."

"You step back, B," Sera warned. "Neither of you are putting a hand on her. I'll put her frigging muzzle back on good and tight when the agent arrives. Until then, back off. In case you two have forgotten, we're not actually selling her to no one. Just showing her off. So she doesn't stand to gain nothing in scaring the agent off anyways."

Paul and Becca exchanged a look, some tacit conversation passing between their eyes. Then Paul said, "Fine, but you keep her quiet, elf, or I _will _come back over here and quiet her down myself."

Sera laughed. "What are you going to do, Paul? Breath on her and knock her out from the odor?"

Paul glowered. "Just keep her quiet." With that, the couple turned and traipsed back off to their chairs at the other side of the cave.

"Thank you," Cassandra said when they'd gone. "Now, please Sera, if you'd just remove my binds…"

"I can't, love. Them two will yell at me, and you'd probably just bust my nose up with your fist the second you got the chance, anyway." Sera moved beside the woman and laid a hand on her forearm. "Don't worry. I won't let no one harm my little Seeker. I'll protect you."

Cassandra sighed. It was, clearly, not the answer she was looking for. She shifted around on her heels a bit before seating herself against the barrel again. "The blindfold…?"

"Can't take it off quite yet. Sorry."

"So if things go sour in here and we have a problem…"

"We won't," Sera assured her. "And if we _do_, I've got a quiver full of pointy little friends slung against my hip here, and every last one of 'em is awfully good at… problem solving." She grinned and patted her arrows.

"And after this… you still intend to let me go free? Truly?"

"Truly," Sera confirmed.

Cassandra hesitated, took a breath, and said, "Then if that is the case… I _will _apologize for the things I said to you earlier. …when the times comes."

Sera raised her brow. "Yeah? And you promise you won't come hunting me down to cram a big old slice of Divine justice up my arse?"

Cassandra's answer was brief, blunt, and not entirely unexpected: "No."

Sera had to laugh. "Fair enough, Seeker. Fair enough." She hopped up on the barrel beside Cassandra and folded her legs beneath her. She sighed, laid her chin in her hand, and idly picked the fuzz from her prisoner's cloak. "Now we wait."

And so, they waited.


	5. Chapter 5

"Three bloody riders," Paul bellowed as he came sprinting into the cave from its entrance, claws of early morning sunlight at his heels. He unsheathed his sword and spat. "_Three _of 'em."

Instinctively, Sera's hand fell atop Cassandra's arm beside her and squeezed to keep the Seeker close. "Out little agent was supposed to come alone," she said, her other hand falling to her quiver, her fingers tapping the shafts of the arrows protruding there. "I guess we shouldn't be surprised that a noble lied. They make their living out of being filthy little liars, after all." She faced Cassandra and tugged at the woman's elbow. "Well, love, that means I've got to stash you away for a bit until things are… settled."

Beneath the heavy cloth that was her blindfold, the Seeker's expression looked strained. Her voice matched the look. "Sera, for the last time, would you please consider arming me? You can leave my hands bound if you must, just remove the blindfold and give me something to defend myself with. Without a sword, I feel…"

"Swordless?" Sera joked, leading her prisoner over to a stack of barrels near the cave's rear wall. "Can't do it. Even with your hands bound, you'd still probably cut one or two of us down if you got bit by the 'freedom' bug. Nasty little critters they are. Now sit down." She put some pressure on the woman's shoulders till Cassandra sighed and lowered herself to the ground behind the barrels. "Now, do I have to tie them big feet of yours up too or will you stay put back here? Maybe I should remind you, these people want to _buy_ you, love, and we ain't so sure what they want to _do _with you, so it's actually in your best interest to-"

"I'll stay put," Cassandra interjected. "Just be careful. Nevarrans—Nevarran _nobles_ especially—are a… cunning people. I haven't been around them since I was a girl, but…" she twisted at her roped wrists. "Just be sure you and your 'friends' exercise caution with them."

"Yes, ma'am," Sera chirped with a little salute. "Now open wide that pretty mouth of yours, please."

Cassandra sighed. "Is this really necessary?"

Sera retrieved and worked a wadded cloth between the woman's lips before answering, user her fingers to pack it inside. "Not really. You're just so much more _adorable_ when you can't threaten to behead me." She tied the gag around the Seeker's lower face, gave her a little pat atop the head, and stood. "Be back in a jiff. Got some liars to deal with. "

Sera knew just her place for such dangerous dealings. It was the same place every time; the furthest spot back before her arrows were out of range, the highest spot _up_ to best see the battlefield—_or potential battlefield, at least, _she thought—and in the warm, embracing arms of the shadows. The cave happened to have just such a spot; a raised bit of rock curving along the back wall and just out of proximity of the nearest torch's flickering light. Sera climbed to it, got solid footing, and drew an arrow from her quiver. She didn't nock it against her bowstring, not yet. That was a sign of aggression, and she still wasn't sure they'd need to go that far. Instead, she pulled a deep breath, narrowed her eyes on the cave entrance, and waited.

The men came not long after, breaching the harsh line of sunlight and entering the dark mouth of the cave. Two of them were big, broad-shouldered, sorts with heavy riding cloaks and raised hoods. _And who knows how much armor might be underneath, _Sera mused with a frown. The third moved slowly between them, like an old man, and it wasn't until they neared Paul's first torch that Sera saw he was, in fact, an old man. _Who sends an old timer like that as their agent?_

The man's eyes, a pale grey and ringed with crow's feet, flittered from Paul to Becca and back before scanning the rest of the cave. He saw Sera, for his gaze lingered in her direction a moment, but did not acknowledge her. Instead, he flipped back his rider's cloak and offered a smile. "Hello, friends."

"You were supposed to be alone," Becca growled. The Jenny had her sheathed daggers resting atop her hips; her hands not far from them as she paced back and forth. "We don't _like _being lied to."

The tip of Paul's sword was planted in dirt, but his hand was around the hilt as he added, "Why bring company? Didn't trust us?"

"No, that's not exactly it," the old man said, his smile not wavering in the slightest as he looked between the weapons displayed before him. "However, I admit my guilt of deception, and for that I apologize. I meant no disrespect. In fact," he reached into his cloak and Sera nocked her arrow and had it drawn taught against the bowstring, aimed at the man's chest before he'd even got his bony fingers inside. When he removed the hand, though, all it grasped was a plain brown sack. "Here, friends. An offering of apology." He tossed the back at Paul's feet.

Paul and Becca exchanged a look before Becca cautiously picked the bag up, held it at arms length, and loosened the drawstring keeping it closed. She peeked inside, her eyes widening. "Gold?" She tested the bag's weight. "A good _bit _of gold!"

"And plenty more where it came from," the old man added. "And now I will drop all deceptions and speak honestly with you if you'd like."

Paul nodded, but his eyes kept moving to the bag of gold. "Alright. Go on then. Talk."

The man cleared his throat, straightened his back, and spoke loud and clear with his chin held high. "I am _not_ an agent of the Nevarran noble, Prince Rygall." His smile lifted a bit into the wrinkled corners of his cheeks. "No, I _am _Prince Rygall himself. A pleasure to meet you."

At the rear of the cave, Sera drew her arrow a bit tighter, lifted her aim a bit higher. She didn't like lies, and she _especially _didn't like 'em coming out of some fat pig noble's mouth. "Arseface," she muttered to no one.

Paul and Becca looked equally incredulous as they looked from one another to the old man. "W-What is this?" Becca stammered, her fingers inching closer to her daggers. "Why would some bloody noble come sticking his neck out in some stinking cave? What are you on about? Are you taking the piss out of us?"

"I assure you, friends, I am not. I am the Prince of House Rygall in Nevarra, and I come only to claim what was promised." His eyes moved to Sera, scanning the shadows that ringed the cave's perimeter. "Did you tell it true? Do you have her? The princess? Princess Pentaghast?"

_Princess? _Sera thought. She knew Cassandra came from nobility, but to think of her as a _princess _was just… weird.

"That bull of a woman is a bloody princess?" Becca asked with a chortle. "And _that__'__s _why you dragged your noble butt all the way out here? For the _Seeker_?"

The man cleared his throat and maintained his smile, but the strain of the affectation was beginning to show. "I hate to bother you with the troubles of nobility and all, but I see I must explain. You may notice, I'm sure, that I am a bit… well, _old _for a Prince. This is because my father, Maker bless him, has always been a tenacious and stubborn man, and so he clings to his life still now even approaching his one hundredth year. There are five of his sons looking to ascend to his throne when he passes. You stand before one. I've come for Princess Pentaghast, whose House name still holds much respect and adoration in Nevarra. If she is with me… my Kinghood is all but guaranteed. I will be the just King who returned the Princess to what remains of her family."

Sera's fingers started itching. She hated nobles and she hated their stupid schemes and their infernal plotting. It would be so easy to rid Thedas of one right then and there… all she had to do… was loose her arrow…

"I can see by the looks on your faces you're not sure what to make of all this," the Prince went on. "That's understandable. Just know, the gold I've given you is already yours, and if you ride back with me to the inn just north of here, I will pay that same amount _ten _times over. I must have the princess. I won't hide my desperation."

"_Ten _times?" Paul echoed. "You're serious? That much gold?"

Becca was staring shrewdly at the trio of travelers. "…you lot know who we are, don't you?"

The man raised his hands placatingly. "I do not know your names. I _do _know you are operatives in the group known as the 'Friends of Red Jenny'. This does not concern me. If I weren't born noble, I imagine I'd be right there alongside you. My brothers, in particular, could use a good bit of… _your _sort of justice." His smile lifted again; an obnoxious, practiced, repulsive little thing that wormed across his lips.

Becca tested the weight of the gold sack again. "Ten times over, you say?"

"I do."

Becca and Paul looked to one another. "Give us a second to… talk amongst ourselves?"

"Certainly. We shall eagerly await your word outside. Come, men."

The cloaked trio shuffled off, and Paul and Becca retreated towards the rear of the cave. Sera hopped down from her vantage point and met them at the barrels. Before they arrived, she knelt down and ripped Cassandra's blindfold away. "Did you hear all that shite?"

The Seeker nodded, squinting as her eyes adjusted.

_She__'__s got pretty eyes, _Sera thought before refocusing. "What do you make of it? Do you know this 'House Rygall'?"

She shook her head.

"Nobles scheming against nobles to make themselves more bloody noble." Sera grit her teeth and punched the barrel. "Makes me want to throw up."

"Sera," Becca began eagerly as she neared. "Look at this. _Gold_. Lots of it, too!"

"Noble gold," said Sera, waving the sack away. "Might as well be little painted rocks. We can shove 'em up the ancient Prince's arse after he's got an arrow sticking out of his throat." She tittered at the thought.

Becca frowned. "Are you mad? We can't turn this down!"

For a second, Sera was too nonplussed to react. She clambered to her feet and fixed her friend with an incredulous glare. "What? What are you going on about, B? He's bloody _nobility_! Him and his type are the whole reason the Jennies even exist. Have you forgotten? Piss on his offer. We'll take that gold, follow him back to the inn, steal the rest, their little breeches too, and leave the three of them standing there broke and in their knickers. It will be funny."

Paul moved closer. "Don't be daft, Sera."

"_Eck._ The breath, Paul," she said, pinching her nose, "always with the breath."

"Sera, listen to me," Becca said. "This woman has made her intentions clear time and time again. She plans to _hunt _us if we let her go. And now… now we've got a chance not only to fatten our purses, but be _rid _of the Maker-forsaken Seeker once and for all! Surely, you're not suggesting we throw that opportunity away!?"

"Opportunity?" Sera looked down at Cassandra, still seated on the floor. The Seeker held her eyes, the slightest hint of desperation housed within them, but Sera didn't need convincing. She shook her head. "She's not for _sale_, B. That was never the plan. I didn't kidnap the woman for personal gain. I kidnapped her to stick it to some noble arselickers, and that's exactly what I intend to do."

"Be reasonable, Sera."

"We're _not _handing her over. End of discussion."

Becca searched for words, came up with none, and eyed Paul up instead with a defeated look. Paul drummed his fingers impatiently against his forearm as the two stared at one another a moment, then, as if they'd reached some tacit agreement, Becca sighed and offered the slightest nod of her head.

Before Sera even knew what was happening, Paul lurched across the gap between them, wrangled up her arms in his big meaty hands, and spun her around to restrain them behind her back.

"_Argh_!" Sera growled, writhing in the man's hold. "Let _go_, idiot. What the shite are you _doing_!?"

"I'm sorry, Sera," Becca said, moving in front of her and trying to calm her down. "I can't turn this down. Stop fighting."

"_Get off me!_" Sera demanded of Paul, trying to slip his grip.

"Let me stick her with my sword," Paul shouted as he tightened his hold on her. "She's a lanky little thing. If she gets loose, she'll put an arrow in my eye in a heartbeat. Let me stick here, Becca. Let's be done with it."

"We can't _kill _her, Paul. She's my friend."

"I am _not _your bloody friend," Sera growled. "You dumbarse idiot! You're going to deal with a noble! A _noble_! You're no Jenny… and you're no friend."

To her credit, Becca looked genuinely hurt for a moment. Then the hurt turned to anger, and the woman's eyes narrowed harshly into Sera's own. "I tried to reason with you, Sera, but you've _always _been unreasonable. I don't know why I thought you might listen for once. Now…" She shuffled her feet, ran a hand through her her. "Now I have to do this. You're _making _me do this. Can't you see that?" She reached for her dagger and slid it from its sheath. "I liked you, Sera. You were always funny, even when you wouldn't shut up. I'm real sorry, but… letting the Seeker go is as good as killing us all, so it's better _you_ than all three of us."

"You're serious? You're going to stick me with a dagger?" Sera gaped at her friend incredulously. Her and Becca had their spats from time to time, but… in truth, Sera hadn't had many friends lately. Becca was about the only one left to her.

"I-I'm _sorry_, Sera. What else am I supposed to do? You… no, you did this to yourself."

"B…" For once, she was speechless.

"I'm sorry." Becca's knuckles whitened around the hilt of the dagger. She took a breath. She stepped near. The dagger came forth, the point as sharp and ready to pierce. Then-

-Cassandra rose on a knee and thrust her shoulder against Becca's side. The Jenny went tumbling off to fall on her arse, and Sera seized the moment to jerk hard and twist at Paul's grip on her arms. He almost kept her restrained, but when she lowered herself and slipped aside, he lost her. Sera scrambled back a few steps, and by the time Paul took his first move towards her, had already nocked and drawn an arrow, aiming right at the stupid bastard's stupid heart.

"_Get back!_" Sera snapped. "Get back, Paul, or I'll end you. I mean it. _Back_!" Paul tossed his sword and put his hands up, retreating towards the rear wall of the cave. Out of her periphery, Sera caught Becca creeping to make a move on her flank. She took another few steps back and moved her aim to the woman. "You too, old _friend_. Get over there with your foul-breathed man. _Go!_"

Becca swallowed, hesitated, but eventually obeyed, tossing her dagger down and moving slowly beside Paul. "I wasn't actually going to stick you, Sera. Don't be a fool and do something rash and impulsive like usual."

"Shut your lying mouth before I put an arrow in it. Both of you face that wall and get on your knees."

"Sera…"

"_Now_."

The two cautiously did as they were instructed. The moment they had, Cassandra moved beside Sera and began tugging at her bound wrists and mumbling frantically into her gag. Sera glanced to her. It was fairly obvious what the Seeker wanted. _The same thing she__'__s wanted since the beginning, _Sera thought. _Her freedom. _Sera considered it only for a second before giving the woman an obstinate shake of her head. "No, I can't. Not yet."

"_Hrrmnmph!_" Cassandra protested, twisting her wrists again.

"Look, there's three men outside this cave. I know how bloody good you are with a sword and all, but _I__'__m_ pretty much useless unless I've got an open area to launch arrows from, and I don't think you can take three armed and armored men on all by your lonesome. I think I've got an idea, though." She chewed her lip. "I… I _might _have an idea."

Cassandra's look was apoplectic above her gag. She made an agitated sound into her muzzle and pulled again at the ropes binding her.

Sera ignored her indignant captive's protests and returned her attention to Becca and Paul. "Now, as for you two…"

"Don't kill us, Sera," Becca pleaded. "_Please_. We was only looking out for our own skin. You'd have done the same if you had the foresight to see how disastrous letting the Seeker go would be for the three of us."

"Shut up and toss back that little sack of noble gold you so greedily nearly stuck me for."

Becca exchanged a nervous look with Paul, but did as she was told.

Sera scooped it off the cave floor and pocketed it. "You're a disgrace, B. Dealing with nobles… you bloody idiot. You _deserve_ death." Becca started weeping then, and even though Sera knew the woman's tears were as fake as a nobleman's smile, she couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness anyway. She was friendless again now, she supposed. _Alone. _"You're not worth the arrow… but if I ever see your face again…"

"You won't. I promise. Just let us live. _Please_, Sera. I don't want to die."

"You're pathetic." She lowered her bow and looked to Cassandra. "And _you__'__re_ going to have to stay my prisoner a bit longer, love."

Cassandra squinted shrewdly.

"I'm going to walk you outside in those ropes, tell them we've agreed on the deal, lead you to the horses to 'retrieve your things', then we're going to mount up and ride. Ride _hard_ and ride fast, and hope them noble scum don't ride harder or faster. That's about the best chance we're going to get."

Cassandra's eyes flittered uncertainly, but after a time, she looked to begrudgingly accept the helplessness of the situation. She offered a slow nod of her head. Sera returned the gesture, cast her eyes one last time on the infuriating sight of her fellow Jennies kneeling before the wall, then took Cassandra by the bound wrists and led her towards the cave entrance.

The sun was creeping the day towards noon when Sera breached the outside world. She shielded her eyes and tucked her prisoner's hood up a bit higher over her head as they marched down the narrow channel of rock that lead to the open plains. At its end, she saw the trio awaiting them, and for one mad moment, desired to try and take all three of them down. When she saw the maces and sword hanging beneath the big twos cloaks, however, she came to her senses.

"Is that the princess?" The old man asked. "Lady Cassandra? Cassandra Pentaghast? Is it you, truly?"

"It's her. We're going to take your offer up," Sera answered.

"Wonderful, dear. Wonderful."

"I'll ride her to the inn you spoke of," Sera said, changing the plan a bit on the fly when she remembered the old man's offer. "When we get there, and I see this gold you spoke of, she's all yours."

The man's smile broadened. "Certainly. But first… may I see her face? Up close and without that hood? I simply wish to look upon the woman who I had last seen as a young girl at court."

"At the inn," said Sera, tugging Cassandra around the trio of riders, eager to be ride of them and mounted.

"The inn? Why not here?"

"Because I said so."

The man raised a brow. "Where are the other two? The man and woman I spoke with earlier?" He looked back towards the cave entrance.

"Coming. They want to take the rear… incase we've got a sabotage waiting for us." She reached the horses and quickly untied the fastest of the lot; the little spotted courser with the strong legs.

"Well, I suppose the inn will…" The old man trailed off and cocked his head.

Sera heard it too. _Shite, _she thought as Becca and Paul's shouting came faintly bellowing up from within the cave. Their words were muted and unintelligible at first, but as they, obviously, sprinted nearer to the entrance, _two_ words in particular became abundantly clear: "_Stop her!_"

"_Seize the elf!_" The Prince wailed.

Sera nocked, drew, and blind-fired an arrow into the trio's numbers, hoping to scatter them and delay their pursuit if nothing else, then spun back to the horse, took it by the reigns, and tugged it over beside a bit of rock jutting up beside the cave. "Up you go then, Seeker. Do be quick about it, please," she said, pointing out the rock as a stepping stone to mount the saddle. Cassandra understood, and made the climb at once, throwing one long leg over the horse and mounting it just as Sera hopped up behind her. Behind _them_, the sound of rushing footsteps and the unsheathing of weapons came in a harsh, approaching, din. Sera spurred the horse forward with a yelp, and the beast got moving just as a hand brushed her calf. Shouting came bellowing behind her shoulders, but the courser was quick, and it started waning off almost immediately. Still, she spurred the horse on faster, as fast as it could go. They'd have to do quite a bit of maneuvering to lose their pursuers, but thankfully Sera knew Ferelden as well as anywhere, and that included its many twists and turns through the sprawling woodlands.

_Goodbye, B, _she thought, hating her former friend with all her heart and somehow already missing the stupid woman all at once. Becca was as lost to her then as the Inquisition; she'd find no haven in either. _All alone again then__… __like the old days. _Between her legs, Cassandra shifted a bit and leaned to the side to steal a peek behind them, likely looking to see if they'd lost their tail. _All alone except her, _Sera thought, offering the Seeker a smile. Cassandra only frowned at her, but Sera didn't mind.

She was already thinking up an excuse to keep the woman her prisoner… maybe for just a little while longer.


	6. Chapter 6

Where the trees thinned out at the base of a long sloping hill, the derelict cabin came into view. It was a small, single-floored, thing, quite clearly constructed long ago, and didn't look to have seen any repairs or maintenance in a good while. The wooden walls were warped and chipped, and there was even a gaping hole in one corner near the roof. There was a porch, or what might have once _been _a porch, wrapping the exterior, but the logs and planks were all falling into ruin. Two of the stairs leading onto the thing were cracked in their center, and the bannister had collapsed on its side and lay dormant amidst the fallen gold and red leaves of the woodlands around it. The windows, what few there were, were either shattered or boarded up, and a solitary chimney of haggard bricks leaned on its side, protruding up alongside the treetops that crowded it.

_Why is she taking me here? _Cassandra pondered as Sera rode them down the last stretch of the hill. She twisted at her bound wrists laid useless in her lap and grit her teeth beneath the cloth keeping her silenced. Sera hadn't bothered to remove either since they'd fled the cave where the elf's foolish plan had faltered. _She__'__s keeping me in bondage, _Cassandra had realized at a point as they rode hard and fast to escape their pursuers. _She has no intentions of letting me go. _The idea had infuriated her, but the Seeker vowed to keep her temper leashed; at least until she better understood what, exactly, the elf was plotting. Now, seeing the abandoned cabin that was to be their destination, Cassandra's anger had reignited; a deep flame burning up from her belly. She thrashed against her ropes and grunted protest back at her captor.

"Calm down, love. Ride's over," Sera said with that obnoxious casual tone she seemed to always adorn

Cassandra glared at her kidnapper, but, truly, couldn't do much more. She returned her gaze to the cabin, where Sera had led them around the side and to the front porch. The elf dismounted and tied the horse to the most sturdy-looking of warped pillars jutting up from the earth, then put her hands on her hips and grinned up at Cassandra.

"Homey little cabin, innit? Some Jennies used to use this place as a meet-up to get together and scheme on the nobility in the area. Hasn't been used in a while, so it's sort of… _yeck_ now. But that's good. Like, for us. Well, for me. Heh. It's a good bit away from any towns or pubs or anything like that sort. Doubt any Jennies still us it, too."

Cassandra balled her fists tight and refused her temper to get the best of her.

"Your face is all red, love," Sera pointed out with a laugh. "Don't be _too _mad at me, now. I did sort of save your arse back there at that cave, didn't I? You would have been haulled off to Nevarra, stuffed in a frilly pink dress, and dragged to court as 'Princess Pentaghast' if I hadn't taken you." The elf chewed her lip as her big eyes looked Cassandra over. "Princess Pentaghast… that's sort of funny to think about, innit? I'd _kill _to see you in a dress and some pretty pink heels."

Cassandra fumed, but made herself stay quiet; she had no intention of giving the elf the satisfaction of making a fool out of herself.

Sera shrugged. "Right then, down you come."

Together, they got her dismounted and safely to the ground. When Cassandra landed, she had half a mind to throw her weight into her captor and make a run for it into the woods, but where could she go? She hadn't been blindfolded on the ride out, but there had been a lot of forest during the trip, and Sera was sure to twist and turn and double back a multitude of times to hide their trail from potential scouts or trackers. Cassandra was as good as lost out here, and she did not doubt her elven kidnapper knew the land as well as any. No, if she were going to escape, she'd need to overpower Sera and _make _the elf guide her back to somewhere familiar. That required her to be rid of her bondage… and _that _would take time. So, for then, she obeyed.

Sera took her by the elbow and led her carefully up the cabins' front stairs, stepping around a hole and lurching over a cracked board. The cabin's door was practically fallen off its rusted hinges, and when the elf pushed it back to enter, Cassandra half-expected it to crumble apart. It didn't, but the bottom corner grinded against the floor as it swung and got stuck halfway around. Sera shrugged and slipped inside through what could open of the entrance, tugging Cassandra along behind her.

The interior was not much prettier to look upon. It was mostly barren, and drafty from the holes in the ceiling and wall. There was a big round carpet in the middle of the place's, seemingly, only room, but the edges were frayed and blossoming spots here and there were stained with something dark. At one side of the room, a large bed without a mattress was slid into the corner; at the other end, a table and some chairs that looked to be the most modern renovations the cabin had seen in some time stood huddled beside a partially-cracked window.

"Our old meeting table," Sera explained, guiding them over. She snickered. "Last time I was here, I was a teenager… and I plotted out the grand scheme to steal the entire food stores out of some Ferelden Lord's keep." She twisted her lips. "Never did get that one done, unfortunately. Sturdy chairs still, though. That's good. For me, at least. Have a seat, Seeker."

Cassandra, begrudgingly, did, lowering herself at first into what she thought was perhaps the weakest of the chairs until Sera tugged at her elbow and made her instead sit in the strongest-looking of the lot. The moment she had, the elf wasted no time in binding her to the thing, wrapping her up tight in ropes until her torso was firmly secured against the chair's backside, and her ankles and legs to the chair's own. When Sera had finished, she used the last of the rope to loop around one of Cassandra's wrists, untie it in her lap, then pull it back behind her to secure. When she repeated the process on the other arm, Cassandra was left with her hands tied behind both her as well as the back of the chair. Cassandra tested her binds, but found them frustratingly secure. She sighed and raised her eyes to her kidnapper.

"Comfy?" Sera grinned. "I'll take your muzzle off in a bit. I'm going to go see, exactly, what supplies in the saddlebags I managed to steal from my _dear _friends that tried so dearly _murdering_ me back at the cave. Sit tight, keep quiet, and start thinking about what you're going to say when I decide to let you speak. It better not be mean, Seeker. I do, sort of, have you to myself out here. We can be friends… _or _you can spend our time together with that rag stuffed in your mouth and a blindfold over your eyes. Your choice. I'll be back."

Cassandra watched the elf go, her fists behind her tight enough that she felt her nails digging into her palms. When she was alone, she tested Sera's ropes again, pulling this way, jerking that way, trying to get her fingers on a knot of some sort but coming up empty again and again. By the time the elf came back with the saddlebags, she was sweating at her brow from the exertion, and she wasn't even one _bit _closer to freedom. _A waste, _she thought with a disappointed shake of her head.

Sera sauntered to the table and dropped the bags atop it. "Well, we've got some water, some bread, and some blankets and medical supplies… not that either of us need 'em, but it's good to have anyways, innit? Not to mention that little bag of noble gold I pinched from my lovely 'pals'. That could buy something a bit tastier than stale bread, I'd imagine. I'd have to ride to a market, but… I know a way or two that could make the trip somewhat short." Her eyes turned to Cassandra. "I'd just have to make sure _you _can't do nothing funny while I'd be gone."

Cassandra held the elf's eyes and ground her teeth against the cloth between them.

"Right, your muzzle." Sera sighed. "I almost want to leave it on that big mouth of yours, in truth. I can see from the look on your face you're not going to have, exactly, the nicest things to say to me, are you? Well… s'ppose I can't keep you shut up forever, though. Alright, I'll be nice and take it off. You better return the favor, love."

Sera untied her gag. The second it was loose, Cassandra spat the wadded cloth inside her mouth out and licked at her lips. After clearing her throat, she asked, "Why, in the Maker's name, are you still keeping me prisoner, Sera!? You're foolish little plot has failed you! You have nothing left to gain by doing this anymore. _Release _me so that I may return to my duties with the Inquisition!"

Sera frowned as she seated herself in the chair beside Cassandra. "Why would I go and do that? If I let you go, you'll put your big boot up my arse, throw _me _in ropes, and drag me back to Skyhold for a good old beheading. Doesn't make much sense, does it?"

"I won't. I promise you. I _will_… detain you and bring you to Skyhold, yes. But I _also _willrequest you are not harmed for your… treachery. I will suggest imprisonment as a just alternative."

"Oh? Really? Lucky me! A life in a little cage under the castle instead of a quick death! Well, let me just untie those ropes from you right now!" The elf rolled her eyes and snickered.

Cassandra ground her teeth. "No… not a life sentence, then. Perhaps… perhaps just a few years, or… some sort of servitude to the Inquisition."

"Ah, enslavement," said Sera with a nod. "Well, I must admit I _do _have the ears to make a good and proper slave." She tugged at a pointed ear. "Not a life I'm particularly interested in, though."

Out of frustration, Cassandra jerked at her ropes. "_Maker__'__s_ _breath_… then, what? What could you possibly hope the outcome of all this will be, Sera? You've kidnapped me from the Inquisition. The 'friends' you robbed have betrayed you. There is a Nevarran nobleman now hunting you. How do you really think this is going to end? I'm _offering _you a way that leaves you alive. I'm not sure there are many outcomes that can make that same claim."

Sera grinned. "Why, Cassie… are you concerned about me, love?"

"No. I'm concerned about _me_ and getting back to my duties. I'm only offering you help because you did not allow your friends to sell me back at that cave."

"Right. Back at the cave. Where I _saved _you."

Cassandra scoffed. "Saved me from the situation _you _yourself put me in. Very heroic of you," she added dryly.

Sera angled a slender finger across the gap between them. "Hey, anymore sarcastic lip out of you, Seeker, and I might just take away them speaking privileges. I _did _save you back there."

"If you even _attempt_ to gag me again, I'll bite your fingers, elf," Cassandra threatened. "I'm sick of having that infernal cloth stuffed in my mouth."

"Then you best watch your tongue, love," Sera countered, "because I will _gladly _shut you up if you tempt me enough, and believe it or not, I'd actually like to have one of these conversations between us that _doesn__'__t _end with me angrily gagging you and storming off because you're so stubborn and pig-headed."

"_I__'__m _stubborn!?" You-" Cassandra cut herself short and stared at her captor. _No good will come of any of this, _she realized, collected herself a moment, and went on with forced calmness. "Alright. We can… speak to one another without it devolving into a shouting contest, I'm sure. Just answer me this, Sera… what are you going to do now? Keep me stashed away in this cabin as your prisoner for… what? _Forever_?"

Sera leaned back in her chair and folded her skinny arms over her chest. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling as she crossed her ankles and chewed her lip. "Well… I'm not really sure yet, I s'ppose. I know I'm not letting you go. Not yet, at least. I've got nowhere to turn to now. You said it yourself, I happened to have made a few enemies at the moment. Inquisitions, and backstabbers, and nobleman… and the Jennies… I can only hope Paul and Becca didn't run off and try turning them against me or something." She sneered and shook her head. "Becca… should've put an arrow in that bitch is what I should've done."

"Keeping me prisoner is not going to improve your situation, Sera," Cassandra said with what she hoped was some semblance of tenderness. "If you _untie _me, however… I can help you."

"Oh, piss off with that. I know you hate me. You'll give me a good thump on the nose the second you can and then lock me up in chains so I'm a nice, obedient, elf like I should be."

Cassandra sighed. "I do not… _hate _you."

"No?" Sera seemed genuinely surprised. "You got a funny way of showing it, Seeker, I'll tell you that."

"You have me tied to a chair, Sera. How do you expect me to act?" She glanced around the room, shifting her weight a bit in her ropes. "I'm not sure if you've ever been bound like this for an extended period of time. It is not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world."

Sera leaned forward, her eyes widening hopefully. "Yeah? Well, I mean, like… I could massage you again if you want."

"No," Cassandra answered immediately. "No more of that, Sera. I don't want you touching me."

"Why not?"

Cassandra despised talking about things of this nature. She sighed and felt her cheeks warm as she avoided the elf's eyes. "Because… because whatever feelings you, clearly, have towards me, I… I don't want them to… _develop _any further. Do you understand?"

"Feelings?" Sera snickered. "Love, I don't have _feelings _for you. I think you're _sexy_. Big difference. I'm into the whole 'tough warrior chick' thing you've got going on with all your strength and courage and all them bits. You've got nice eyes, too. Oh, and you do this thing in battle when you're bashing a baddy upside his head with your shield and you make this cute little grunt and your nose all wrinkles up, and then…" Sera swallowed and nervously chuckled. Her cheeks reddened a bit. "Well, whatever. I'm just saying, I think you're sexy. I'm not, like, in _loooove _with you. Yuck. Reminds me of B and Paul. Bastards."

Cassandra was, at least, glad to see _something _make the elf uncomfortable. It was good to know Sera wasn't impervious to the awkward feelings that always accompanied such talks for Cassandra. She studied the elf with curiosity. "I must admit, I wasn't aware I had an _admirer_ on the battlefield."

"Oh. Yeah, well… whatever. I just like watching you do your thing every now and then. No big deal."

"My… thing?"

"Well, it's like I said. You run around bashing and clobbering all them baddies. You don't show no fear. You just, sort of… _do _it. It's an attractive quality." She lowered her gaze and drummed her fingers against the table. "You're like a frigging _Qunari_ sometimes. You ever see a Qunari woman? I've only heard about 'em myself, but… I always wondered, you know? Like, are they big tough warriors like all their men seem to be?"

"I'm not sure. I'd imagine they could be."

"There's just something about all that _power_…" The elf returned her gaze to Cassandra and grinned. "Guess that's sort of what _this _is all about, innit? Power, that is. You've got a lot of it, Seeker, but when I've got you all tied up tight and whatnot, _I__'__ve _got control of all that power. I kinda like that."

Cassandra frowned. "So I was correct, then. You _do _get a rise out of all this. You _enjoy_ keeping me in bondage."

Sera shrugged. "I already said I do. So what? If you weren't such a bloody prude about it all, I could do… some nice things for you."

A knot formed up in Cassandra's stomach. "Sera, I said _no_ to that. Please. Keep your hands to yourself."

The elf chewed her lip. "How about you let me give you a little shoulder massage, that's all, and if you do… I promise not to gag you or blindfold you or anything no matter _what _comes out of your big mouth for, like… I don't know, a day or something."

Cassandra eyed her captor shrewdly. The idea of keeping that damned rag out of her mouth _was_ a tempting one. "How can I trust you?"

"I don't know. Try real hard?"

"And you won't attempt to… try anything further? You give your word on that? You'll keep your hands to yourself after this foolish little massage of yours?"

"Yep." And without another word, Sera hopped to her feet, fixed Cassandra with a big grin as she approached her chair, then disappeared behind it.

"Sera…" Cassandra began, but then the elf's hands fell atop her shoulders, and she could only press her lips tightly together and fight the urge to writhe against her ropes in order to be free of her captor's touch. Sera's fingers came lightly at first, pinching down into the soft flesh just beside Cassandra's neck, but after a few squeezes, likely just to try and loosen her up, the elf's thumbs joined in and began rubbing firm little circles into her. Cassandra felt stiff and awkward for the first minute, shifting about and glaring at the floorboards as her kidnapper rubbed her, but the massage gradually felt better and better, and at a point, she could stave off the pleasure of the thing no longer. Her eyes fell closed and she let the elf have her way; massaging and rubbing and squeezing every inch of her shoulders, then neck, then upper back, then shoulders again. Three times, Cassandra had to force her mouth shut when a moan wanted to escape it. It had been long and longer since somehow had… pleasured her body in such a way. As such, the tension continued to drain from her posture, and before long, she was slumped into the chair; Sera's hands working relentlessly to lull her into an almost trance-like state.

When the elf finally finished, Cassandra had to make her eyes widen, for they'd fallen to half-mast during the massage and felt heavy and slow. "You are… very good at that, Sera," she admitted.

"Yeah. It's a skill of mine. Got lots of 'em, really." She returned to her chair and flopped down. "I can show you some more… _skills_ if you want."

"I… no. No, I'd… I don't…" Cassandra hated being unnerved. She was always stammering over her words like some fool. She swallowed, cleared her throat, and shook her head. "No thank you, Sera. The massage was… fine. Thank you."

The elf laughed. "Listen to you. _Thanking_ meand whatnot. See how pleasant things can be when we're not fighting?"

"Yes…" Suddenly, Cassandra found her throat dry and speaking difficult.

Sera leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers behind her head. She gazed at the ceiling and hummed a little melody for awhile before saying, "You know, if this whole things does go tits up for me, and you wind up dragging me kicking and screaming back to Skyhold, I don't think I'd actually mind being a slave. Well, _your _slave, I mean. You could keep me as, like, your little elf massager. I'd have to be chained up and locked away in your bedroom, then when you come home after a long day of baddy-bashing, you could make me rub your whole body up and down." She laughed. "You'd be naked the entire time, of course."

"_Sera_," Cassandra interjected before the elf went any further. "Please. Can't you control yourself?"

"What? I can't have a little fun with my fantasy?"

Cassandra shook her head. "If you _were_ assigned to me as my servant, believe me when I say, your _hands _wouldn't be anywhere near me. They'd be locked up in stocks."

"You'd keep me in bloody stocks!?" Sera asked with a grin. "What a cruel master you'd make!"

"Not only would I keep you in stocks, I'd have your _mouth_ sewn shut, too," Cassandra added.

Sera leaned forward, her grin broadening. "Do you know what you just did?"

"Did? Did what? What are you talking about?"

"You just _smiled, _Seeker."

"No I didn't."

"You did! You made a sort of jokey-thing, I _hope_, and you smiled at the end. It was real quick, like your face muscles weren't used to the expression or something, but it happened." Sera clapped her hands together. "You smiled. I knew you enjoyed my company."

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "If I _smiled_, it was because I was imagining you locked up in stocks. Not because I enjoy your company."

"Don't be ashamed, Cassie. You smiled. And it was cute." Sera chewed her lip as her eyes looked Cassandra up and down. "I want to see it again."

"See what?"

"That cute little smile of yours. I want to see it." A mischievous look twinkled in the elf's olive green eyes. "I'm going to tickle you."

Immediately, Cassandra felt her whole body tense and stiffen as she jolted up in her chair. "Sera, _no_."

Sera raised her hands in the air and wiggled her fingers about. "They've a mind of their own sometimes, love. Can't stop 'em."

Cassandra writhed against her ropes. "If you do this… if you tickle me…"

"Where do you want it?" Sera asked, scooting her chair closer to Cassandra's own. "Neck? Arms? Ribs? Ooo, the _feet_! Feet as big as yours _have _to be ticklish somewhere."

"Don't do this to me, Sera" Cassandra pleaded as the elf's fingers inched closer and closer. Every bit of her body was already uncomfortable and twitchy, and she hadn't even been touched yet. "If you _insist _on putting your hands back on me, just go back to massaging my shoulders or something. Do _not _tickle me. I hate being tickled. I've always hated it, ever since I was a little girl. You feel so helpless and foolish and your face turns red and then the sweating… Oh, Maker's breath, don't tickle me."

"Oooo, I _like _this side of you," Sera confessed. "Desperate and pleading… your helpless little body writhing and jerking about…" The elf snickered, but when her eyes found Cassandra's own, the mischief slowly drained from her face and something… _else _replaced it. Something amorous and hungry. "Alright. I'll make you a deal, love. I won't tickle you… if you give me one more kiss."

"Absolutely not," Cassandra answered at once with an obstinate shake of her head.

Sera shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way. I'll go hunt us a bird so I can get its feather. Then, what do you think? Should I take it to your left foot first? Right foot? How about both at the same time? Yeah, that sounds good. A nice, long feather, dragged up and down the soles of your poor little feet. Up and down… _uuuup _and _dooown_…"

"Alright!" Cassandra growled, unable to take the elf's teasing any longer. "Go on, then. Kiss me. I don't care. I don't have to kiss you back, and I _certainly _don't have to enjoy it."

"I'm glad you saw things my way." Sera stood from her chair and crossed the distance between them.

Cassandra looked up at her captor, the knot returning to her stomach and a strange fluttering coming to her chest as she met the elf's eyes. She tugged slightly at her bound wrists behind her back, but the ropes kept them right where they were. Sera moved beside her and lowered herself onto the Seeker's lap. The elf's weight was surprisingly light as she sat and hooked an arm around Cassandra's shoulder. Cassandra sighed and realized there was no averting her eyes from her captor any longer. She looked up at the elf just as Sera's hand came lightly under her chin and lifted. In the dark of the room, Sera's features were almost lost to her, save the woman's eyes; bright and green and piercing.

"Are you ready, love?" The elf's lips were close enough to feel the warmth of her breath trickle against the bridge of Cassandra's nose.

Cassandra swallowed. "You have me tied up to a chair. What does my being ready have to do with anything? Just have your kiss and let's be done with this."

"You're _so_ romantic sometimes," Sera said with a roll of her eyes.

"Look, are you going to kiss me, or sit there mouthing off? Because I don't-" Sera leaned in and kissed her. When their lips met, Cassandra's eyes instinctively closed, and she was surprised at just how warm and soft the elf's mouth against her own felt. One of Sera's hands gripped gently at her chin, the other slid up the side of her face and ran into her hair. Cassandra leaned back, and Sera's lips followed, and at a point, she somehow found herself kissing back. _No_, an inner voice pleaded, but her lips were no longer listening to reason.

The kiss either lasted a second or an eternity, Cassandra could not be sure, then Sera had pulled away, and the two of them were left staring into one another's eyes.

"You… kissed back?" Sera said, more perplexed it seemed than anything.

"I… I don't know… I just… I-"

Sera lightly draped her hand over Cassandra's mouth and pressed down enough to silence her. "Don't talk. Whatever just happened… let's just let it be. Talking is only going to spoil it. Alright?"

Cassandra swallowed. She nodded.

Sera chewed her lip uncertainly. "I mean… you probably haven't, like, haven't changed your feelings on me or anything, so what does it really matter, right? You're not going to suddenly _forget _I kidnapped you and all that. You're-"

"_Hrmm,_" Cassandra mumbled into the elf's palm, lifting her brow.

"Right. Right, no talking. Forgot. Best that way. Shouldn't even acknowledge it. It's for the best if we both just go to sleep for the night or something. Probably. Right? You're not… you don't want to do it again or anything, right?"

"_Hrmmmnmph!_" Cassandra shook her head.

"Right. Me neither. Was just testing you. So… no talking, okay? I'm tired. You're tired. We're all tired."

Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Alright. Goodnight," Sera said, smiled uncertainly, carefully removed her hand from Cassandra's mouth, and hurried off to the bed to lay down some blankets from one of the saddle bags. "I'll let you sleep on this next shift. You won't be tied like that for long. No talking, though, so… 'night, then."

_She__'__s acting more strangely than I am, _Cassandra thought as she watched the elf make her little bed. That was certainly an… interesting development, to say the least. She couldn't think on it, though. Not then. It would be easier to concentrate with a bit of rest in her. In hopes of accomplishing that very thing, Cassandra relaxed her posture and leaned into the chair. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She licked her lips.

They tasted faintly sweet, and of the elf.


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: **_The story shifts to an M rating here at the end, and will likely continue that way to its conclusion. Thanks for reading along so far._

* * *

At some point as she'd slept, Sera must have used another sleeping potion on her, for Cassandra awoke very differently than when she'd drifted off. For one, she was no longer bound against the cabin chair. She'd been laid down atop the room's bed. Though there was no mattress beneath her, the elf had layered enough heavy blankets atop one another to make the thing soft and comfortable nonetheless on her back. Her hands and feet were, as expected, rebound and tethered to the bedposts, but Sera had used little strips of soft cloth wedged between Cassandra's skin and the ropes to, she assumed, alleviate the friction. It was certainly a more comfortable way to be tied, though of course Cassandra would have preferred to have awoken not tied at all. The leather vest she'd been wearing the day the elf had stolen her had been removed as well, alongside her riding cloak and boots. This left her in nothing more than her undershirt and her breeches. _And how long will it be before my captor strips me of those as well? _Cassandra thought with a frustrated tug at her binds.

Her captor, as it turned out, was something else that had changed while she slept, for Sera was nowhere to be found. Cassandra lifted her head from the bedding and narrowed her eyes into the shadows of the cabin, but found nothing but the shadows themselves. When she looked to the shattered windows and the gaping hole in the opposite corner of the ceiling, she could see what looked like early morning light starting to creep into the grey skies, but no elf. She wrestled with her ropes a bit, unable to resist the urge knowing she was alone and unguarded, but Sera's binds were as secure as ever, despite her added 'comfort cloths'. Cassandra relinquished the struggle with a defeated sigh, laid her head back against the soft bedding beneath it, and waited; her thoughts turning first to the Inquisition, then to the kiss she'd shared with her kidnapper the previous night. _That _only made her feel… strange, however, and so she cast it aside as quickly as it came.

It wasn't long before Sera returned. Footsteps on the front porch pulled Cassandra's attention their way, then the cabin door ground back against the planked floor until it was just slightly ajar, and the skinny elf sidled inside; a big brown sack slung over one of her shoulders. When her eyes found Cassandra's, she smiled and bowed her head. "'Morning, love. Miss me?"

Cassandra was about to answer when she spotted dark red splotches staining the elf's cloak near the stomach and arms. "_Blood_," she called out, instinctively sitting up and jerking at her bound hands and feet. "What happened? Are there enemies outside? Are you hurt?"

Sera tossed her sack down and looked herself over with a frown. "Yeah. Blood. Not mine, thankfully. Ran into another 'old friend' of mine when I was getting supplies. Looks like Becca and Paul have been good and busy smearing my name up and down Ferelden."

"What do you mean?"

Sera traipsed over and sat herself on the edge of the bed. "The Jennies. B and Paul have gone and spun them a sweet little tale about how I made a deal with a nobleman to sell out all the Friends and get them captured. Now they're all out for me. Saw one at the market. We exchanged greetings, he smiled, I joked, he laughed… then the scheming bastard trailed me back here and tried putting an arrow in my arse." She sneered. "Shame for him, I'm a better shot. It's his rotten blood on me. Asked him a few questions after I nicked him in the ribs. He told me the whole bloody thing."

"Then… there's no trouble?"

"Well, save for adding a whole bunch of disgruntled Jennies to the growing list of people who want me dead, no… no trouble, love, but your concern is noted. It's sweet."

Cassandra frowned. "Must you make jokes of everything?"

"Who said I was joking?" Sera laughed, reached into her sack, and slipped a yellowed sheet of paper from within. "I come bearing _good _news too, though." She unfolded the paper and flattened it out for Cassandra to read. "Turns out our, er, well, _your _precious Inquisition is getting along just fine without you. Who would have thought, right?"

Cassandra focused her eyes on the scribbled hand-written note. As she read down the letter, she felt a heavy burden lifting more and more from her shoulders with every word. The note was, clearly, addressed to whatever 'Friend' of Red Jenny Sera had had her scuffle with. It told of the Inquisition and its recent maneuvers and accomplishments. The Inquisitor, as it turned out, had closed four rifts along the Shattered Coast, and Cullen's soldiers had won themselves a decisive victory at The Emerald Graves. In Val Royeaux, Josephine had negotiated a peace treaty with a noble house to pledge their numbers to Skyhold's own, and one of Varric's friends had delivered them a stock of rare supplies from Kirkwall.

_All of this in the handful of days I__'__ve been gone? _Cassandra thought, the last of her worries waning a bit as she laid her head back against the bedding and breathed relief.

"Wow," Sera began, watching her, "I expected you to be pleased, love, sure, but you look like someone just told you Andraste herself came back to Thedas to rid the world of all its big scary demons with hugs 'n kisses. You were really worried, huh?"

"I always worry," Cassandra confessed. "Sometimes… perhaps too much, yes. But I cannot help it. The last time I didn't worry, The Divine Justinia… I was not there to protect her, and…"

"Right. I understand." Sera chewed her lip. "Well… hey, looks like the Inquisition is doing pretty darned good for itself though, huh? You didn't really think it'd just grind to a halt without you, did you? I mean, not that you're not important or anything… you _did _sort of declare the bloody thing, after all, but…"

"I… am pleased with this news," Cassandra admitted, "though one must wonder _how _exactly your Friends of Red Jenny are getting such detailed information on our maneuvers."

Sera shrugged. "The Jennies always know what the big and the powerful are doing. It's sort of what we do. Not like most of this information won't be public soon anyway. If you notice, the letter doesn't say anything of Leliana or her creepy little shadow spies, so clearly we don't have _all _your little secrets."

Cassandra closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment's relaxation to soak in the relief of her troubles. The Inquisition and her duties hadn't been far from her thoughts since Sera had first put her in ropes. It was good to know her absence hadn't burdened their cause any. With those troubles temporarily shelved, she refocused on her current one, narrowing her eyes on her captor. "You put me into a deep sleep and removed clothing from my body…"

"I made you a bit more comfortable," Sera replied. "All them layers couldn't have been fun to wear all the time."

_No, but they shielded my body from your eyes__… __and hands, _Cassandra thought, glancing down to her undershirt, where her breasts mounding up beneath pulled the fabric taught. She tugged at her binds, frustrated more than ever with how useless and helpless she was. _I can__'__t even adjust my own shirt._

"And what about them little cloths I stuffed around your wrists and ankles?" Sera asked. "That was pretty nice of me, wasn't it? Now the ropes won't chafe your lovely little skin."

"Nice of you? Sera, it would've been _nice_ of you to not tie me down to a bed at all."

"Well, I've got to keep you under control _some_how, Seeker. It's either the ropes or a little cage. Or a sack. Or, like, being made tranquil or something." She scratched her chin. "Can us non-magicy types even _be_ made tranquil?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Look, just tell me what the next part of you 'master plan' is. Are you any closer to the realization that letting me go is your best hope for survival?"

"Nope." The elf went fishing into her sack again. "Got us some bread, though. Honey-glazed. You ever have that? It's real good. Like, _real _good."

When Sera lifted the loaf into the sunlight, the glaze coating shimmered. Cassandra's stomach immediately longed for the nourishment. It had been nearly a day since she'd had anything to eat. "I… am hungry, yes."

"Well, no shite, love. So am I. I wouldn't have gone sticking my neck out in the marketplace if we weren't." She broke the loaf in halves, then again before taking one of the pieces and ushering it towards Cassandra's mouth. "A bite?"

"Surely, you can understand that being fed like some child is humiliating, Sera. I don't suppose you'd loosen the slack on one of my hands so I could at least-"

"Either I'm feeding you, or you're going hungry. Choose."

She hesitated, sighed, and slowly parted her lips. Sera grinned and carefully brought the bread close enough for her to take a bite. The glaze was sweet, the bread as fresh as if it were just out of the oven, and Cassandra forgot the embarrassment of the situation at once, opting instead to focus on eating. When she'd finished the whole piece, Sera retrieved a sealed flagon of cool water and helped her drink and wash it down. The elf had a smattering of vegetables in her little sack too, and after Cassandra finished the other slice of her half of the bread, Sera hand-fed her a few of those as well.

"Good, right?"

Cassandra nodded as she swallowed. "Yes. Thank you."

"For dessert… I don't know… 'nother kiss?" The elf lifted her brow hopefully.

Cassandra glared up at captor. "Is that why you moved me to this bed while I slept? Is that why you've brought me food and good tidings? To _seduce _me into… into doing _that _again?"

"What? No! I did all this stuff to try and please you is all. Me trying to seduce you is just an added benefit."

Cassandra balled her fists and leaned forward. "Then _why_ are you trying to please me?"

Sera chewed her lip. "'Cause… 'cause, well, shite. I don't know. I just am, alright?"

"You see?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes shrewdly on the elf's. "You _are _trying to seduce me, even if you're not aware of it. You're not just being kind to me out of the goodness of your heart, I can tell you that much. Let me make this clear again for you. You've kidnapped me. You've bound me, hauled me all across Ferelden, nearly got me _sold _to a Prince, and now refuse to release me, even after you have no benefit in keeping me prisoner. You and I… no matter how many massages you might give or loafs of bread you might bring… you and I are never going to be whatever it is you think we are, Sera. I assure you of that."

Sera crossed her arms and frowned determinedly down at Cassandra. "You kissed back last night. Can't change that little tidbit, can you? You kissed me, love. So, clearly, you're heart hasn't gone entirely to stone quite yet, even if you'd wish it had. So there."

Cassandra's cheeks flushed. "I didn't _mean_ to! I… you were kissing me, and… what was I _supposed_ to do?"

"For starters, you might've _not _kissed back. Pretty simple, really."

"Look, _you _were just as uncomfortable last night as I was," Cassandra growled. "You went running off to bed blabbering on and on with your nonsense!"

"I wasn't expecting you to frigging _kiss_ me! For a second, I thought, like, maybe you were… I don't know. It caught me off guard. Be proud of that, 'cause it don't happen often, that's for sure." Sera looked her over, her brow creasing pensively. "Another drink? Here."

"I don't-" Cassandra began, but the elf brought the flagon to her lips too quickly to protest. She was forced to accept the sprout as it was thrust into her mouth and poured. She drank of the water, but Sera tipped it back too far and she nearly choked. The elf yanked the flagon away quickly; quickly _enough _that a splash of water went sailing over her chest. Cassandra swallowed and glared indignantly at her kidnapper. "You did that on _purpose_!"

"Did not," Sera countered. "But, here. I'll make up for it and dry you off a bit." She retrieved a cloth from beside the bed, folded it, and reached for Cassandra's chest.

"Don't," Cassandra warned, but the elf was already gently patting at her, first around the neckline and her collarbone, but then down further and further until her hand was right between Cassandra's breasts, dabbing and patting. She made sure to dry _there_ quite well. "I can't believe you."

Sera ignored that. "Looks like a bit got on your tummy, too. Let me just…"

"_Sera!_"

But the elf had clearly made up her mind already. She reached for the hem of Cassandra's undershirt and lifted it up to dry, peeling the bottom up enough to expose Cassandra's bare midriff beneath. Sera leaned over and chewed her lip as she stole a peek. "Wow. You're stomach is flat. Like really flat. All that sword-swingin' and shield-bashin' pays off, huh?"

"Please pull my shirt back down."

"You even got them little curves next to your belly-button," Sera went on. "I _love_ them little curves."

Cassandra's cheeks were on fire. "_Please_, Sera."

The elf rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. You're no fun." She yanked the shirt back down. "Remind me to muzzle you next time I want a peek at the goods. It's a lot easier to 'mishear' your complaining when it's just a bunch of mumbling and grunting."

"Silence me and have your way with me? Is that it? Truly? I must admit, I didn't think _that _little of you before that I'd fathom you cold stoop to such levels."

"Have my way with you?" Sera laughed. "Stealing a little looksie at your stomach is _far _from what I would consider 'having my way with you', Seeker. If I did have myway? I'd have stripped you completely naked while you were out from that sleeping potion. Yeah. And that honey glaze on the bread we had? I would've brought some back to honey glaze that flat tummy of yours. I would've feasted on _that _instead of the bread." Her mouth spread to a wide grin. "Now that would have been… _filling_."

Cassandra grimaced. "How… vulgar."

"And I take it, the proud and stoic Seeker of Truth has _never _been so crass nor crude, right?" The elf snickered. "Come on. It's not like your unsullied or something…" she raised a brow, "you're… _not_, right?"

"I've _been _with another," Cassandra growled. "Not that it is any of _your_ business, elf."

"How long ago?"

"What?"

"How _long _has it been since you did the old in and out? I mean, I'm assuming it was a man… right?"

Cassandra averted her eyes. "I'm through with this conversation. Put the gag back in my mouth if you must, but I refuse to go any further down this path with you, Sera."

The elf looked incredulous. "Really? You'd seriously rather be _gagged _then just _talk _about this kind of stuff with me?"

"Yes," Cassandra answered. "At least when I'm gagged, you eventually tire of teasing me and talking to me and wander off. _This_… this is just torture."

Sera stared at her a long moment, her mouth slightly agape, then she simply shook her head and shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way, love. If you want me to shut you up, I'll shut you up. Gladly." She retrieved the bandanna from the bedside table. "Just know, it doesn't have to be this way. I just want to find out more about you."

"I _know_ what you're trying to do," Cassandra retorted. "And it's not going to work."

"It might… if you'd just calm down and give me a chance."

"I've given you chance enough. I gave you a chance to _release _me, and you denied it."

"Give me another chance, then. Let's just talk a bit and see where things go. Look," she pulled a skin of wine from her sack. "I brought something to drink if you'd like. We can share."

"_Wine_? Sera…" For a moment, Cassandra was so frustrated with the elf, she could only fume and glower at her. Then, she simply shook her head and said, "Just leave me alone already," and opened her mouth to accept the gag.

Sera shook her head disappointedly, leaned in, and wedged the knotted bandanna between her teeth before tying the ends around the back of her head. "There. Happy?"

Cassandra bit down hard on the bandanna and glared.

"You are the absolute most stubborn thing I've ever met, you know that? _Argh, _it makes me so madsometimes!" The elf stood from the edge of the bed, planted her hands on her hips, and paced about beside it. "I bring you food, I feed you, I bring the good news about the Inquisition, I rubbed your shoulders last night. I mean, shite! What do I have to do to get you to just bloody _relax _a bit and take that stick out your arse!?" She spun on Cassandra and threw her arms up.

Cassandra did not offer the elf even the slightest bit of a response; only stared.

"Well, what is it? Do you like singing? I'm shite at singing, but I can learn. Dancing? Total shite at that too, but I'd at least _try_ if you'd get a bloody laugh out of it. You want me to bake you a batch of damned cookies or something? Like, what do you _want_ out of me? You want me to massage you again? I'll do it, I don't care." The elf stomped over to the bed and seated herself at its end.

Cassandra lifted as much she could off the bed, shaking her head and mumbling protest, but Sera ignored her. Instead, the elf plucked one of her feet from the bedding and placed it in her lap before taking hold and pressing little circles into her arch. Cassandra bit her gag in frustration, but could not deny how good the massage felt almost immediately. Gradually, she lowered herself back down and let the elf have her way and rub her feet.

"You're enjoying this, yeah? Well I'd rub your big stupid feet every single day if you'd just _talk _to me." The elf was quiet a moment as she worked before adding. "Rubbing your stinking feet… and you're _my _bloody prisoner. You figure it'd be the other way around."

Cassandra let the elf finish her foot and move to the other for a bit before lifting her head from the mattress again and making a sound into her gag indicating she wanted to talk.

Sera glanced up at her. "If this is a _complaint_, Seeker, I swear…"

Cassandra shook her head, and gestured again to be allowed to speak.

The elf sighed, removed her foot from her lap, and crawled up beside her to loosen the gag and pull it down around her neck.

"Why are you doing all this, Sera?" Cassandra asked as soon as she could. "Just tell me that. Why are you so desperate for my… _affection _or whatever it is you seek."

"Because who else bloody is there now!?" Sera snapped. "I've got _no one_. The Jennies want to kill me. The Inquisition probably wants to kill me. That noble arselicker from the cave and his noble soldiers wants to kill me. All them people who don't like elves just because they're elves want to kill me. You've got a whole damned _castle_ waiting to give you their adoration and respect and all that, what would you understand of loneliness? I'm nobody. I _have _nobody. I-" Sera abruptly stopped, lowered her head, swallowed. She took a breath before going on. "And then there's you. Powerful. Attractive. Smart. Confident. I… I just sort of want you to like me. I want to know someone like you even _can_."

There was a sincerity then in the elf's voice and eyes Cassandra had not seen since knowing her. _She__'__s being honest, but__… __what does that really change?_ "Sera… you _kidnapped _me."

"I know, I know. I… I'm sorry?"

"And I might've actually been able to accept that apology… but you're _keeping _me your prisoner as well." She tugged at the ropes binding her for emphasis. "You can't do this to a person and expect them to… to just-"

"I know," Sera interjected with a sigh. The elf abruptly stood, paced twice more the length of the bed, paused, then slumped back down to seat herself on its edge, leaning over to run her hands through her hair. She stared dejectedly at the floor. "… well, shite. There's really no way out of this for me, is there?"

"There is," Cassandra began, a stir of hope rising in her chest. "Un_tie _me, Sera."

Sera turned back to stare at her, twisting her lips this way and that. "…well… like, what are you going do to me if I did?"

Cassandra hesitated a moment. _She__'__s being honest with me. I owe her the same, at least. _"I will… bring you back with me to Skyhold."

"_See_!" Sera snapped. "That's not no bloody-"

"I will _request_," Cassandra cut her short, " that your punishment is nothing more than an indentured period of servitude… to me."

Sera's eyes widened a bit. "To… you? Like, what? Like what we were joking about yesterday? Like… I'd be your slave or something?"

"If you wish to think of it like that, you could, but all it would be is simply a period of servitude in lieu of proper imprisonment for your crimes against the Inquisition. Nothing more, nothing less."

"So I'd be your slave then for a bit. Your property." Sera stared at her, picking at her shirt as she swallowed. "What would you make me do?"

"Tasks."

"What _sort _of tasks, love?"

Cassandra sighed. "I don't know, Sera. Clean and polish my armor. Take a whet stone to my blade. Send out my messages. Deal with-"

"_Yeck_," Sera interjected with a grimace. "That's, like, _real _servant stuff. I don't want to do none of that. I mean, like, what would you make me do to _you_. What would you _force _me to do?"

"Sera…"

"That's the only sort of 'servant' I'm interested in being, love. Sorry. If my choices are keeping you stashed away out here in this cabin bound and gagged, or file your bloody _paper_work… not much of a choice to make at all, is it?"

_Maker give me strength, _Cassandra thought, pulling a deep breath to fortify her tolerance. "I… I will allow you to massage me from time to time as you did before. There. Does that satisfy your… _desires_?"

"No. I can massage you right now. I like getting my hands on you and all, but…" Her eyes flicked across Cassandra's body. "If I'm going to surrender, I want a good bit more of you, love."

"What _more _of me?"

Sera rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I'm honestly not sure if you're really as daft as you're putting on. _More_, Seeker. I want your body." The elf laid her hand on Cassandra's thigh and gave a squeeze.

"Please. Do you think of nothing other than your crude, carnal fantasies, Sera?" Cassandra questioned, glaring at the elf's hand, infinitely frustrated that she could do nothing to remove it.

"Bit hard when I've got you all roped up and to myself," Sera admitted. "I think I'm showing a good bit of restraint here, really. Here's this beautiful, strong, human woman, all tied up tight and totally at my mercy… and I'm practically beggingyou just to let me rub your stinking _feet__._" Her eyes moved back to Cassandra's thigh, her fingers giving another squeeze. "You know, I _could _just take you, love. Have my way with you and all that."

Cassandra swallowed into a throat that had suddenly run dry and coarse. She shifted a bit uncomfortably against her binds. "Sera… if you're even _thinking _about-"

"Oh, I've thought about it plenty. Would never do it though, Seeker, so rest easy. People in power taking advantage of the helpless… that's the sort of thing I've spent most of my life fighting _against_. Be a bit of a hypocritical arsehole if I 'forgot' all that just because I want you."

"But _why _do you want me? You are an… attractive and young elf, Sera. Surely, there are plenty of people you could find to satisfy these needs of your's in Thedas."

"Sure. S'ppose. Plenty of people I could take into the sack. Problem is, love, none of 'em are _you_."

Cassandra raised a brow as her eyes moved between the elf's own, searching for understanding. "Why me? What is it in me that you desire so dearly you're willing to keep me bound and held against my will? Willing, apparently, to risk your own safety to have?"

"I feel like we're going in circles now. I told you. I like you. I like who you are and I like what you look like. Why does it have to be more complicated than that? When I first got joined up with all you nutters in the Inquisition with your demon hunting and your baddy bashing, the first person I knew I wanted to get closer to was you. You were tough and beautiful and your eyes were so pretty, especially in the morning when you'd train. Then I got to know you a bit and found out the person you are was somehow even _better_. Besides being a little up your own arse from time to time with your faith and duty and responsibilities and all them bits, 'course. I seen you, Seeker. I seen you be compassionate and sweet, and not just to the other members of the Inquisition, but the little people too. I seen you defend them and convince the Inquisitor to help them. I seen the little look of pride you get on your face when you work hard and accomplish things and help people. I… I like that. I like it a lot."

Cassandra blushed and averted her eyes. "You're just flattering me now…"

"I'm really not." Sera scooted a bit closer to her. "And, look… I know I'm not perfect. I probably talk too much and I'm sort of pushy, right? And I don't doubt I'm that 'frivolous' thingy you called me the other day, either. But I can improve. I can work on it. If you help me."

Cautiously, Cassandra returned her eyes to the elf's and held them. "The things you've said have been… sweet, Sera. I will admit that. It doesn't change the fact you're keeping me tied up." She pulled at her ropes. "How can I take you seriously when I'm being kept in bondage?"

"Can't you just, sort of, like… _enjoy _the bondage a little bit?"

"Enjoy it?"

"Come on, love. It doesn't do even the slightest thing for you being all helpless and powerless and at the whim of another?"

"It is frustrating, Sera. I feel foolish."

"Only 'cause you're so used to being in charge and having to be the one to get things done all the bloody time. I get that. You're a leader. But right now, you have to let _go _of all that. Just accept that you have no control anymore. _I__'__m_ in control of you."

"Control of me?" Cassandra swallowed; the very notion of another having control over her was dizzying and strange. "I… I don't like that, Sera."

"'Cause you're still fighting it. I said let _go_." The elf scooted even closer, so that she was near enough to reach up and lay a hand gently against Cassandra's cheek and jaw. "You don't _have _any responsibilities right now. You don't _have _any tasks or duties that need be fulfilled. You don't have baddies chasing after you or bureaucrats babbling in your ear about some new problem or other. Cassandra, while you're my prisoner, you _are _free. More free than you've probably been in a long, long time."

Cassandra could not pry her eyes from the elf's as she listened. Her heart came thrumming against her chest; her palms took a cold sweat in them. When she pulled at the ropes binding her, the restriction reminded her how true Sera's words were. She had absolutely no power, and, inversely, she had no responsibility. "I…" she searched for words, found none. Her throat was even drier than before. Her skin was warm, and when the elf's fingers slid against it, unbelievably sensitive.

Sera's expression had grown hungry. "I'm going to kiss you again now."

_No, _Cassandra thought, but her mouth could not be made to say the word. She felt her body betray her thoughts. She nodded, and when Sera leaned down, she leaned up to join her. Their lips met briefly once, twice, and the third time, Sera pushed her back down against the bedding and kissed her passionately; the elf's tongue finding her own. _No, _some inner voice demanded again, but Cassandra could not speak with the elf kissing her, and doubted she would even if that weren't the case. Sera's hands slid lightly down her cheeks, her neck, briefly thumbed across her collarbone.

"I want to touch your breasts," she whispered into Cassandra's ear.

"Then touch them," Cassandra answered at once, pulling at the ropes around her wrists to remind herself again she had no power.

Sera did. Her slender fingers were gentle at first as they cupped her breasts and gave a little squeeze. Then she took them more firmly against her palms and ran her thumbs up alongside Cassandra's nipples, moving from side to side to graze them. Even with the fabric of her blouse keeping the elf's touch at bay, it felt… very good. Cassandra's eyes fell closed and she grit her teeth. "I have no power," she said, though she wasn't sure why.

"That's right love," Sera whispered as she went on rubbing at her chest. "I have control of you."

"You have control, yes," Cassandra agreed, swallowing and licking at her lips.

"I'm going to lift your blouse up."

_Maker forgive me, _Cassandra thought, angry with herself one moment for allowing this to happen, pleased with herself the next for the very same thing. _You are a prisoner. You have no responsibility. No control. _Then Sera hoisted the hem of her shirt up all the way to her neckline, baring her belly and chest entirely, and Cassandra could no longer think those sort of thoughts, for she could no longer _think. _Sera's hands returned to her breasts, this time their bare flesh meeting without the barrier of her clothing. The elf's hands were cool but not cold, and when her slender fingers slid up to give a little pinch to Cassandra's nipples, Cassandra could not prevent a moan escaping her lips. She squeezed her eyes closed tighter and threw her head back to catch her breath. Something warm and moist closed around her nipple then, and it only took Cassandra a brief moment to realize Sera had taken her breast in her mouth. She moaned again and arched her back as the elf sucked at her, her hands sliding up her bare belly and groping the undersides of her chest as she did.

"Sera…"

"_Shhh._"

Her nipples had grown so sensitive, she felt her entire body begin to writhe and shift about as if on its own. Her legs started spreading a bit; her toes curling. "Sera…"

"Hush now, love. You're not to speak anymore."

With that, Sera simply slipped the bandanna back up over her chin and into her mouth, pulling it tightly around the back of her head till it was snug, effectively gagging her silent once again. Cassandra sunk her teeth into the thing, almost thankful to have it back in place. She chewed on it as Sera returned to kissing and sucking and groping at her breasts. "_Mmmmrmnm,_" she hummed into the gag, the idea that she couldn't even voice protest now, somehow, putting her even more at ease.

"I want to do more to you," Sera said when, finally, her lips came away from Cassandra's nipples.

"_Mmm,__" _Cassandra replied with a slight nod of her head.

"But at the same time, I don't want to. Not yet, at least. I want you to sleep on this. I want you to think about it. 'Cause if I go and have my way with you all tonight, you might go and say this was some sort of 'swept up in the heat of the moment' type thing. And I don't want that. I want _you_."

Cassandra frowned. "_Hrmph mnmmrm mmm-__"_

"I put that muzzle on your big mouth for a reason, love," Sera explained as she pulled Cassandra's shirt back down. "I'm not letting you say a bloody _thing_ until morning."

"_Mrrmnph!_" Cassandra protested.

"You're cute when you do that," Sera confessed with a grin. "But, listen. You're not going to talk, you're going to lie there and think about all this. Think about how good what I did felt. Think about how good _other _things I might be able to do can feel. 'Cause tomorrow I'm going to ask you if you want to go through with all this, and if you say yes?" The elf leaned a bit closer and laid a hand on Cassandra's cheek again. "You're _mine_, love. Understand me?"

Cassandra held her eyes, again feeling almost hypnotized by the elf's green wells. Slowly, she nodded.

"Good." Sera patted her cheek and swung her legs up on the bed to lie down beside Cassandra. "Now behave and go to sleep. Here. I'll help with that, too." She fetched the blindfold from beside the bed and tied it around Cassandra's eyes. "There we are. Comfortable?"

_How could I be comfortable after__… _She thought of the way the elf's mouth felt around her breast and had to bite down on her gag to stave the thought away before she got herself worked up again. She nodded.

"So obedient," Sera cooed beside her. "I like it. I hope you feel the same in the morning, love, when the blood isn't pumping in all the right places." The elf's hand fell gently on her tummy. "Goodnight, Cassandra. I'll await your decision in the morning."

It wasn't long after that that the slow, monotonous, heavy breathing that accompanied sleep sounded in Cassandra's ear, indicating the elf had drifted off. Cassandra herself, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, did not have many options other than to try and do the same. It took her a bit longer, though. She couldn't stop thinking of power, control, responsibility… and Sera…

…Sera and her wonderful, wonderful, mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

Cassandra Pentaghast awoke for the first time in a long time a completely free woman. _A dream, _she thought at once the moment she made to pull at her binds and found none restricting her. But when she sat up in bed, however, tearing the blindfold from her eyes and finding the cabin room empty and painted in the dull grey tones of an overcast afternoon, she realized it was no dream at all. She looked to her legs and found no ropes coiled around her ankles. When she brought her hands together in her lap and rubbed at her wrists, there was nothing in place to stop her from doing so. She reached around for the back of her head and untied the knot of her gag to remove it, then swung her legs over the side of the mattress, found the cool wood of the cabin floor beneath her bare feet, and stood; rising at last as a woman entirely rid of the bondage she'd become so accustomed to in the last few days.

Immediately, her eyes narrowed into the shadows of the room, searching for her elven kidnapper. Hesitantly, she called out, "Sera?", and was surprised at just how hoarse and quiet her voice sounded. She swallowed, cleared her throat, and tried again a bit louder. "_Sera?_"

From beyond the thin front door of the cabin, the elf's voice came faintly in reply, "Out here."

For whatever reason, that actually brought Cassandra a great deal of relief. She hadn't even realized it, but she'd been holding her breath since standing, but the moment she heard Sera's voice, she released it and felt the tension melt out of her posture. She hurried to the door, pulled it open till the bottom scraped the floorboards and slipped outside.

Sera was seated on the top stair of the front porch, reading from a sheet of paper. She was leaned against one of the awning's support beams, and her lanky legs were stretched before her and crossed at the ankles. Her eyes, bright and a pretty shade of green even in the dreary light of the storm-ridden afternoon, lifted to Cassandra's as her lips spread to a smile. "Morning."

For a moment, Cassandra was too perplexed to reply. She could only stare a moment, turn her attention to the horse tied beside the porch, to the woods cluttering around the little clearing they resided in, to that grey sky stretched above, and then back to the elf herself. "What… what is the meaning of this? What are you doing?"

"Who? Me?" Sera laughed. "I do believe I'm sitting here, chatting with you, love. Thanks for asking. What are _you _doing?"

"Must you always joke? I meant, why…" Instinctively, Cassandra lifted her wrist to her hand and rubbed at it. "Why have you untied me?"

Sera sighed. "Well… s'ppose I realized I can't just keep you tied down and gagged for the rest of your bloody life… even _if_ I sorta want to a bit." She snickered. "So… I guess I'm, like, letting you go and stuff?"

"Letting me go?" Cassandra looked back to the horse, that strange feeling she was living some waking dream resurfacing in her mind. She returned her eyes to Sera and narrowed them shrewdly upon the elf. "What game is this, Sera?"

"Game? What? You really think I'm lying to you, love? Am I truly so untrustworthy?"

Cassandra could not help her eyes from falling to the elf's lips as she spoke. When Sera formed the word '_untrustworthy__' _her lips puckered in and out, and Cassandra could almost feel them closing around and kissing at the tip of her breasts again as they had last night. She put her hand to her chest and pulled a deep breath. Remembering _that _made her feel… even stranger than she already did. Her skin felt suddenly itchy and uncomfortable, and she had to run her hand against her cheek and clear her thoughts before the feeling left her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," she answered curtly. "Yes, I'm fine. I just… I don't understand this, Sera. This entire time you've had me bound and captured, you made it clear repeatedly that you had no intentions of releasing me. Now… what? Am I truly to believe you're going to allow me to get on that horse and just ride off?"

Sera shrugged. "If that's what you want. You're a free woman now, love. Take a look. There aren't no ropes tying you down, are there?"

Cassandra planted her hands on her hips and stood over Sera, drumming her fingers against her sides. "And… what about you then? If you're freeing me, what if I still intend to bring you to Skyhold as my prisoner to answer for your crimes? What then? Will you struggle against me?"

Sera laid the paper she'd been reading from in her lap, brought her wrists together, and raised them up. "Nope. Bind me and toss me over the saddle if you must, love. I'll be a good little elf and behave myself all the way back to my cozy new cell in the castle dungeons."

"Oh, put your hands down," Cassandra told her with a wave of her own hand. She returned her eyes to the horse. "That's it, then? I can just… leave?" _Why doesn__'__t this feel__… __better? _Some inner voice questioned as she walked to the end of the porch and stared at the horse's saddle. _All I have to do is get on and ride. This is what I__'__ve wanted. Not just what I wanted, but what I _must_ do._

"Before you go, I did come across another old 'Friend' of mine while I was out this morning getting us food and whatnot," Sera called over, and when Cassandra looked back, waved the piece of paper she'd been looking at earlier around before her face. "More news on the Inquisition… if you're interested, that is."

"Of _course_ I'm interested," Cassandra said, marching back across the porch to pluck the paper from the elf's fingers. She read the thing at once. It was more good news, from top to bottom. Skyhold was seeing its numbers bolstered on the daily now, and Cullen's soldiers were looking infallible as they marched westward, victory after victory left in their wake. The Inquisitor himself was making his way across Emprise du Lion, closing rifts and brining an end to Venatori activity in the area all the while. As she read the report, a second burden lifted from Cassandra's shoulders, perhaps even heavier than the first. She breathed relief and lowered the paper.

"You just smiled again, love," Sera pointed out. "That big scar on your left cheek? It gets this little wrinkle in it when you smile. It's… adorable, really. You should try doing it more often."

"Well, I suppose it's a bit easier to smile when I don't have a _gag_ tied around my mouth," Cassandra replied.

Sera chuckled. "And another sort of joke-thing, too? Cassie… this is like a whole new you."

"Do not call me 'Cassie'," Cassandra told the elf, then her eyes were drawn inexorably back to the horse. _Go, _that inner voice commanded her, but her feet stayed planted, her legs stiff and unwilling to obey. She looked to the woods again, cluttering all around them like some brown and green crowd, closing in to keep silent vigil over the cabin and the two of them. A thought came to her then that, for whatever reason, brought her _relief _in some strange way. She snapped her head back to Sera and threw her arms up. "I don't know these woods," she explained. "I… I don't know where I'm going."

Sera chewed her lip and stared, but otherwise kept quiet.

Cassandra swallowed. "I mean… I want to go, I _must _go, truly, but…" She crossed her arms and paced the length of the porch. "If I get lost in these woods…" _You__'__re making excuses. _"I could be captured by someone even worse than you. Someone that might know I am a Seeker of Truth. That would be very bad. I might be tortured. Or killed. Yes. I could be killed. And if that were the case, what use would I be to _any_one then?" _Excuses, excuses, _an inner voice taunted, but Cassandra ran a hand through her hair and made it quiet down. "I… I can't go on my own, so… you'll have to show the way, Sera."

Sera shook her head. "Sorry, love. Can't do that."

"Oh?" Cassandra swallowed again. _Why is my throat suddenly so dry? _"Well… I could… I could simply restrain you and _make _you show me the way…"

"You _could_," Sera admitted with a nod. "But who's to say I'd actually lead you the _correct_ way? What if I led you to, like, a big den of Jennies who wanted to stuff you in a sack and ransom you off to that Nevarran noble arselicker from the cave?"

"That is… unfortunately true," Cassandra agreed. She looked back to the horse, to the woods, sighed, paced, sighed again. She'd never felt so conflicted, so utterly _torn_, before. _It is true I could face much worse out there. Without sword or shield__… __or even _boots_ to defend myself with__… _She swallowed and faced Sera again, though found the task of holding the elf's eyes a difficult one. "If you won't show me the way, how can I truly escape you? The woods are unfamiliar to me, and… and dangerous. And if that is the case… then I suppose I'm still your captive, aren't I…"

Sera raised a brow. "Are you?"

_She wants me to say it. _Cassandra looked away. Her stomach was all twisted up into knots. "I… Well, I mean, I can't just… I can't _leave _because… well…"

"Love," Sera called, drawing her gaze back. "Are you _mine_… or are you not? It's a simple question really, innit?"

"_Y_-_yours_?" When Cassandra tried to swallow that time, she found she could not. She focused and tried again with success, but it left her throat feeling a bit sore and uncomfortable. She looked back to the paper, wrinkled between her fingers since she'd, apparently, been squeezing it tightly between them. _The Inquisition is doing well, _she thought, and somehow that brought a bit of relief to her ambivalence. _The Inquisition is doing _better _than well, truly__… __and I don__'__t know the land. _"I don't really have a choice but to be 'yours', do I? It's either stay your captive… or chance my life in these woods."

"You convincing _me_ of that, love? …or yourself?" Sera asked with a grin.

"I… I cannot…" She sighed and lowered her eyes. "Since I cannot safely return myself to Skyhold yet, I… I _suppose_ then…"

Sera rose to her feet, traipsed the gap between them, and hooked a slender finger beneath Cassandra's chin to make her eyeline meet the elf's own. "Cassandra… are you mine? Yes or no?"

_Oh, Maker__'__s breath. _Cassandra felt her head nodding before she could make herself stop it, and her mouth followed suit. "Y-Yes, I suppose. For _now__… _I'm… I'm yours. In a way."

"Good," Sera said with a little smile. "Now be still a moment, love." And without further hesitation, the elf reached for something hooked into the side of her belt and brought it up to Cassandra's throat before Cassandra could even see what it was. She opened her mouth to ask that very question when she felt the leather closing around her skin and suddenly didn't need to bother, for she knew _exactly_ what the elf was doing to her.

"_Sera!_" Cassandra growled, trying to get her arms up between them and and stop the elf. "_What are you doing to me! Stop it!_"

"Shhh," Sera hushed her. "Calm down, love."

Cassandra heard the buckles fasten behind her head just as she managed to shove Sera back. Her hands darted for her neck and her fingers dug beneath the thick leather encircling it. She was overcome with such wrathful indignation, she could only grit her teeth and glare at the elf a moment before collecting herself enough to speak. "You put a _collar _around my neck!?"

"A mabari collar, actually," Sera explained. "Found it while browsing the marketplace this morning. Thought it would look lovely around that pretty neck of yours. I was right. But, yes. I collared you, love. Don't be angry with me, you look adorable in it."

"Take this off of me!" Cassandra demanded, reaching around to try and fumble with the collar's buckles. "Sera, take this off of me, _right now_!"

"Would you keep your big mouth down?" The elf replied, glancing around the woods. "I think there might be someone in _Tevinter _that maybe can't hear your shouting."

"I want this collar removed," Cassandra growled, giving up on trying to free herself from the infernal thing and turning her attention back on her captor. "You cannot _collar _me like some… like some…"

Sera crossed her arms. "What? Some elven alienage slave?"

"I wasn't going to say that. You have me collared like a feral _dog_. I am not an _animal_, Sera. _Remove _it."

The elf chewed her lip. "Geeze… you're _really _not going to like the part where I leash you too then either, huh?"

"_Leash _me!?"

"Get inside already, will you, big mouth?" Sera said, stepping beside the door and pointing the way in. "Before you bring the whole bloody forest down on us." Cassandra opened her mouth to shout, but Sera interjected before she could. "_Don__'__t_ say another word, neither! I told you to get that tight arse of yours inside. I'm not really asking, you know. So… like, _go _already!"

Cassandra glared at her, glanced at the horse, returned her eyes to the elf. She ground her teeth and balled her fists and fumed… but could not bring herself to do much more. After a long moment's hesitation, she begrudgingly stomped past the elf and sidled inside the cabin. "You are taking this thing off my neck inside," she warned as she passed Sera and reentered the cabin.

Sera slipped in behind her and closed the door. "Now, do I have to put a gag on your big mouth, or are you going to keep it shut about the bloody collar and stop shouting?"

Cassandra spun on her, glowering. "You have no _right_ to collar me like some animal!"

"Of course I got the 'right'!" Sera retorted. "You're _mine_. You said it yourself. I kidnapped you, remember? I even just gave you your bloody chance at freedom. You didn't want it. So… that means I can do what I want with you, love. And what I wanted at the moment was to put a collar around your neck. So I did. That's sort of how this works. Like, If I want to dig a big hole outside, bury you up to your chin, and draw funny pictures on your face, I can. If I wanted to, like, hang you upside down by your ankles and play the bloody war drums on your arse cheeks, I _can_. Understand?"

Cassandra could only gape at the elf.

Sera bit her lip. "_And_ if I feel so inclined… I can even do what I did to you last night again."

Immediately, Cassandra reached for her breasts. When the fabric of her blouse brushed against her nipple, her skin grew sensitive. "You… I didn't realize what you meant before, Sera… I didn't know you expected me to… to be so…"

"You knew," Sera interjected. "You knew, and you still stayed, love. That's a good thing. Now behave yourself like a good little captive."

Cassandra rubbed at her upper chest, the tips of her fingers grazing the bottom of her collar. My _collar_, she thought with what was either dread or excitement; it was impossible to separate the two at that point. _What, in Andraste__'__s Graces, have I gotten myself into? _She wondered as she pinched her brow between thumb and forefinger in attempt to clear her thoughts and get a grip on herself.

"You're looking a bit… stressed, love," Sera told her. "So I'm just going to put some restraints on your wrists there. Help you relax a bit, yeah?"

"_Don__'__t_, Sera…" Cassandra muttered, but submitted her hands without much struggle anyway when the elf came beside her and gently took them to bring back around her sides. Ropes closed on her wrists a moment later, and when they pulled tight, binding her arms in place behind her, there was almost a wash of relief that came across her. The elf's words from the previous night played in her head, mellifluous and soft: _You have no control, no power, no responsibilities._

"There we are," Sera chirped, pulling the last of the ropes tight. "Back how I like you: under control."

Cassandra pulled at the binds, finding a stir of excitement in the feeling of her restraint that was both terrifying and wonderful. _Bound and collared, _she thought. _Like some__… __slave. _She narrowed her eyes on Sera and frowned. "You… you knew I wasn't going to leave on that horse. Didn't you? You _knew_ I had no choice but to stay here where you could keep me stashed away and in bondage."

Sera shrugged, twirling a loose strand of straw-colored hair around her finger. "I had some ideas about what you might and might not do. Sure."

Cassandra sighed and twisted at her wrists bound behind her, wondering how she'd let the elf slip her so easily right back into ropes. "You have me tied. Are you going to take the collar off me now?"

"Nope."

_Of course not, _she thought with a shake of her head. _You fool, Cassandra. You played right into her hands. _"Then… what _are _you going to do with me, Sera?" She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Tell me."

"Keep you."

"_Keep _me?"

"Right."

Cassandra ground her teeth, still walking the thin line between anger… and excitement. "And if I said I don't _want _to be kept?"

The elf shrugged. "Had your chance at that, didn't you? Let it pass right by you. Don't really think you have much of a say in the matter anymore, love."

"Then… what?" Cassandra sighed, averted her eyes, shuffled her feet. "What are you saying? Are you keeping me as your… your _slave_?" _Maker, why does that word make me feel so anxious? _She was more mad at _herself _than anything then, both for letting her chance at freedom slip by her as well as the infuriating stirring she kept feeling between her legs… the one that came when she thought of how Sera's mouth had felt closed around her breast. Cassandra had rarely been so caught off guard, so _vulnerable, _as she felt right then. Her cheeks were afire. There was sweat in her palms.

"That's right, love. You're my _slave_," Sera answered with a giggle. "Princess Cassandra Pentaghast, Seeker of Truth, Champion of Justice, Slave to an Elf. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Sera moved beside her and took her by the arm. "Let's go, slavey. I'm lying you down."

"Lying me down?" Cassandra echoed, eyeing up the bed as Sera marched her over, unable to keep that uncomfortable stirring tamed between her legs. "What… Sera, what are you doing?"

"Hush, love. Lie down. No, on that flat belly of yours."

Sera made her kneel atop the layered covers before helping her lower onto her stomach. The bed creaked as her weight came down against it, but Sera applied pressure between her shoulder blades until she was laid flat anyway, her head turned so that her cheek could press to the soft blanket. "Sera…"

Sera leaned close and clamped her hand over Cassandra's mouth. "Don't talk."

Cassandra frowned, but that only prompted the elf to clamp her hand a bit tighter.

"I ran with this human girl for a while," Sera began, not bothering to remove the hand keeping Cassandra silenced. "Right after I hooked up with the Jennies. So we were kinda young, I guess. She was… nice and all, but a timid little thing, too. Not like, well, _you_. You're this big loud warrior-woman. Heh. Sometimes a bit _too _loud, I guess," She smirked and gave Cassandra's mouth a squeeze. "But this girl I ran with? She was, like, a little whiny _child_ compared to you sometimes. Always complaining and doing nothing about it. Shifty eyes. Always eavesdropping and whatnot. Anyway, we hooked up and stayed together for a bit during a long scheme on some Orlesian nobility. She was quiet and all most of the time we were together, but when the sun went down and the candles were lit and she'd take me by the hand up into the bedroom…" Sera chewed her lip as her eyes widened. "She was anything _but _'timid'. She used to do this thing… to me, and… well, I'm going to do it to you."

Cassandra's heart quickened. She could only lay still and stare at her captor as Sera held her down in place.

"I'm going to take my hand off your mouth and move you a bit. If you speak, I'll gag you. If you struggle… well, guess I'll wrap you up in a hogtie and give you a good bit of tickling. Got that?"

Cassandra stared, swallowed. Being threatened should have made her angry… but at that moment it was only making her want to offer her obedience.

"Nod your head, love."

Cassandra nodded, and Sera removed her hand immediately. The elf started shifting about on the bed, shuffling around Cassandra's body and repositioning herself towards the wall before making Cassandra lift herself enough for Sera to slide her legs underneath her. At first, Cassandra had no idea what the elf was trying to accomplish, but then Sera repositioned herself one final time and it all became clear. The elf laid Cassandra across her lap atop the bed, Cassandra's rear end hoisted up over Sera's thigh.

Cassandra craned her head around the best she could, locking her eyes on the elf's and shaking her head. "Sera, what are you going to do to me? Surely you don't mean to-" But, apparently, the elf knew _exactly _what she meant to do, for before Cassandra could even finish her sentence, the room filled with a sharp _crack _as Sera's hand came thundering down across her rear end. "_Sera!_"

The elf's laughter came joyously from beyond her shoulder. "Oooo, I _liked _that. It was always _me _who was on the receiving end of these things with Delia. Did you hear the sound of that one? Your arse is so fit, my _hand _actually sort of hurts."

The smack across her bottom had been horrible, incredible. "You can't be _serious_!" Cassandra pleaded. "You're… you're _spanking _me like some child now!? This is humiliating! Please, Sera! You don't-" _Crack_. The elf's hand found her rear again, much harder this time it seemed. Cassandra's mouth hung open as the freshly-smacked square of flesh at her rear went tingly and numb. She'd only just gotten ready to protest again when Sera gave her another good spank. Cassandra grit her teeth and pulled at her ropes, but she was in no position to get free of the elf. Another slap found her, this one low enough to send a little tremor down between her legs, and all at once, Cassandra's breath caught in her chest and her fingers trembled. It wasn't until that moment she realized her breasts had been heaving, her heart had started racing even faster, and that maddening _tension _between her legs had began to feel… tighter. _No, _she thought. _Maker, no. I can__'__t. This__… __this can__'__t__… _Sera's hand gave her another slap across the bottom, and Cassandra's inner voice went quiet. Her body was in charge then, and it seemed to actually _want _the elf do what she was doing to her. "_Maker__'__s breath__…" _She muttered, closing her eyes and obediently awaiting her next spanking. When it came, she could not stop a moan from slipping between her lips as the tension in her crotch stirred. "_Sera__… __this is__… __we-_"

The elf took a fistful of her hair and gave a tug. "No talking, love."

Somehow, even that little pull of her hair felt wonderful. Cassandra licked her lips, making herself protest even though her body wanted anything _but _an end to Sera's actions. "_Sera, I__'__m__… __I__'__m not sure you should do this to me. We can__'__t-__" _A bandanna slipped down over her brow, fell between her teeth, pulled tight. Cassandra's lips were forced together, her teeth sinking hard into the fabric.

"Bite down on that if you can't keep quiet, love," Sera instructed, and Cassandra obeyed, thankful to have something between her teeth to chew on. Sera knotted the gag so tightly it dug into the corners of her mouth, shutting her up completely, and then the elf gave her another spank. "This is your punishment, love. For being so bad before, yelling at me and all that." Another slap thundered down across her rear. "And for talking so damn much I have to keep you bloody gagged all the time, too."

_"__Hrmmnmmmmph,_" Cassandra moaned into the bandana as the elf forced another spanking on her.

"You need to learn how to behave yourself, love." Sera spanked her again. "Like, I don't want to _have _to punish you like this and all… but you sorta bring it on yourself, don't you?"

"_Mmmmnm__…_"

_Crack; _another spank. "Are you going to be a good girl from here on out for me, Seeker? I can treat you very kindly if you are." Sera snickered. "Or, like, I can treat you very _un_kindly if you aren't, I guess." Another spank, this one hard enough that the entire cabin seemed to reverberate with the sound of Sera's hand colliding against Cassandra's bottom. Sera took a fistful of her hair again and tugged until Cassandra craned her head back. The elf's mouth came very close to her ear as she spoke, close enough to feel the warmth of her breath, to smell the sweetness of it trickling against her nose. "Tell me, love, are you going to behave? Are you going to obey me?"

The gag was too tight to even consider trying to answer. Instead, Cassandra could only glance sideways and meet Sera's eyes, trying to convey her submission with her expression alone. _I will obey, _she thought, relishing at how wonderful her hair felt while pinched between her elven captor's fingers. _No power, no control, no responsibility. I will obey. Maker forgive me, I will obey. _She whimpered into her gag and closed her eyes, and only then did Sera release her hair, allowing her to fall back to the bedding.

"Seems like you've learned your lesson then," Sera chirped, "but I've got to have one more good go on that tight arse of yours there to make sure you really… _understand_me_. _Brace yourself, love. Here it comes." Cassandra sunk her teeth into the gag and prepared for her bottom to be spanked raw. She closed her eyes, held her breath, then… Sera giggled and gave her a gentle little pat on the butt. "There. Now you understand."

"_Hrmnmm,_" Cassandra moaned relief as she laid her cheek back against the bedding. Sera's hand fell on her butt and gave a little squeeze before the elf crawled to the foot of the bed, seated herself, and laid Cassandra's legs across her lap to start massaging her feet. Immediately, Cassandra breathed deep and savored just how relaxing it felt to have Sera's fingers rubbing into her arches and heels.

"See," Sera began as she massaged, "I can punish you, and I can pleasure you, love. That's how these sort of little 'games' of ours work. _Ours_ being, like, us common folk who aren't afraid of the fiddly bits we got between our legs. I mean, if there is a Maker and everything, He'd be a pretty shite one if He gave us these desire but didn't want us exploring each other's… _parts_, right?"

Cassandra pretended she hadn't heard Sera's blasphemy. The elf's massage felt too good to interrupt.

"Right. Anyway, here's what we're going to do. I've got a few more… _things_ to handle out and about in Ferelden, so that means _you__'__re _going to have to be tied down in here good and tight, love." Cassandra grunted a protest, but Sera countered immediately by tickling at her feet. Cassandra groaned and jerked her legs away, but the elf caught her by the ankles and kept her legs stretched across her lap. "Hush, or there's plenty more tickling where that came from." Cassandra laid still, chewing her gag to keep herself quiet. "Good. Now, as I was saying, I'm going to rope you up and go out for a bit. It will be getting dark probably by the time I get back. I'll have us a good dinner ready. Then… well, then I'd like to undress you, love."

"_Hrmph!?_" Cassandra snapped her head around to stare at her captor. Her heart had just begun to slow, now it was racing back to dizzying speeds again. _Undress me!? _She thought, terrified, enthralled, confused… and somehow, someway, _eager_.

"Don't look so surprised, Seeker," Sera said with a laugh. "And don't worry, I'll show you mine before I make you show me yours. Though, I sort of, like, don't really have much going on in, uh, well… the chest region. But, they're alright, really. I mean, they're serviceable. Oh, my tits, I mean. Did you know I was talking about my tits? Was that clear?"

Cassandra could only stare. She hadn't even considered seeing what Sera might look like without her clothing, and now here she was listening to the elf ramble on about exposing her breasts. _And undressing me__… _she wasn't sure how to feel about it, about _any _of it, but… Cassandra knew the idea was only as frightening as it was tantalizing.

Sera twisted her lips about as she held Cassandra's eyes. "I'm only trying to figure out if I keep you muzzled or not. I like you like this and all, but… I'd like to hear your thoughts on things, too. Especially _my _things, heh." Sera cupped her hands beneath her breasts through the fabric of her vest and gave them a little lift. "What do you think? Oh, right, you can't talk. Well, like, scrunch your nose for 'Very sexy, Sera!', or, like, make a grunt for '_Amazingly _sexy, Sera!'!"

Cassandra only stared, suddenly finding herself strangely interested in just what, exactly, the elf who'd kidnapped and stolen her might look like without her clothing. In truth, Sera was sort of… attractive. She was thin and fit, and there was something very appealing about the youthful, mischievous, twinkle that always seemed to color her big green eyes, but… naked? Cassandra hadn't ever considered it… at least, until then. The thought of it was, like most things that had been happening to her, confusing in a wonderful way.

Color came to the elf's cheeks. "Hey, that long stare of yours wasn't an option, Seeker!" She draped an arm across her chest and squirmed out from beneath Cassandra's legs to stand beside the bed. "Alright, I'm leaving. Thanks for that stare, though, love. Really filled me with confidence. How do you want to be tied while I'm out? Rope you to the bed? A chair? I can take you outside and wrap you to a tree if you'd prefer the view. Ooo! I wish I had a cage! Like, a mabari cage to go with that collar of yours?" She giggled. "You'd look so adorable locked up inside with that collar on, your hands gripping the bars, glaring out at me with that little bump that comes between yours eyebrows when you frown."

Thought she didn't mean to, Cassandra frowned almost on cue.

"There it is!" Sera laughed. "Ooo, now I just _have _to get you a cage."

"_Mrmnm!_" Cassandra grunted into her gag, gesturing for the elf to remove it.

Sera chewed her lip, looking as if she wanted to play a bit, but then simply sighed, leaned in, and untied the gag.

Cassandra shook it loose as the thing was removed, then looked up to her captor and said, "Sera, if you're leaving me here alone, why must you keep me tied at all? Loose my hands if you're not going to be back for a while. What can I do? I have no weapon nor shield, I don't know the lands… Maker's breath, I'm _barefooted, _Sera_. _I couldn't leave even if I wanted to!"

"You'd best keep your voice down if you don't want another whack across the bum, love."

Even mentioning another spanking made Cassandra feel light-headed and peculiar, and she had to clear her thoughts, ignoring that excited stir between her legs, before continuing to speak. "Look, there's no point in keeping me tied while you're gone. I'm stuck here anyway, and if someone _else _where to find this cabin while you're out? How will I defend myself bound hand and foot and gagged?"

Finally, her words seemed to get through to the elf. Sera chewed her lip as she mulled it over. "Well, shite."

"Now, untie my hands, Sera," Cassandra said, rolling to her side to expose her binds. "I will…" _Obey you. _"…behave myself. You have my word."

Sera drummed her fingers against her sides. "…will you keep the collar on?"

Cassandra sighed. "…yes. I'll stay collared if that pleases you. Just untie me."

After a long moment's hesitation, Sera rolled her eyes and flopped down to the bed to release her. As she worked the knot loose, she said, "Tell me the truth, Cassandra. Do you or don't you like it when I restrain you. Be honest, love."

"I…" She considered it. "There are parts I… yes. There are aspects of it I suppose I enjoy. The feeling of helplessness when you've tied me tightly and…" She felt her cheeks flush and warm. "Yes. I sometimes enjoy it. In a way."

"Well, like, what _don__'__t _you enjoy about it then?"

Cassandra sighed as she thought about it. "Having a _gag_ forced into my mouth so often is frustrating, I suppose. Not being able to speak and communicate when you wish to is… not always enjoyable."

"But it is sometimes…?"

"Sometimes," Cassandra admitted with some hesitation. "When you've silenced me and I can't say 'no' even when my… _conscience_ wishes to. I… I suppose I do… enjoy that." A cool sweat pooled in her palms. Even making herself _discuss _these sort of things was incredibly difficult.

"Alright. What else do you like and don't like? Talk to me, love."

Cassandra frowned. "That knot on my wrists is giving you quite the trouble, isn't it?"

"Yep. It'll be a bit longer. So talk."

She sighed. "I don't _know_, Sera. I don't like be left tied up and alone in some cabin in the woods. I know that for certain. I don't like that you put this collar around my neck without asking me. I _hate _it when you… _tickle _me. That, I've already told you… though it doesn't seem to have stopped you from doing so anyway."

"I can't help myself, love," Sera confessed with a titter. "It's them big feet of yours. I can't help but give 'em a tickle from time to time." She reached back and gave her heel a poke.

Cassandra frowned. "For someone who has teased me almost _endlessly_ about the size of my feet, between the massages and the… _tickling_, you sure can't seem to leave them be, can you Sera?"

"Well, I like feet," Sera confessed. "The feet are the little people of the body, right? It's like, the head is the nobility. All the fame and fortune and glory, all that goes to the head. Then, like, the arms and legs are the body's army. They do the heavy lifting so the nobility gets to rest easy on their hard work. The feet don't do much other than carry you about, but without 'em, the whole things sort of collapses, doesn't it? Still, no one pays 'em no attention. Just walks on 'em."

"An… _interesting _analogy, I must admit," Cassandra said. "I hadn't thought of it like that."

"Yeah, well, there are plenty of things I think of that other people probably haven't thought of yet. Stick around and you might hear some more. You're free, love."

With that, Cassandra's wrists came unbound. She rolled to a seated position and rubbed at them. "Thank you."

"I'll be back," Sera told her as she stood and headed for the door. "You'd better still be here when I am, or I'll go out hunting after you, and when I catch you, I'll drag you back here in a big net."

"A… net?"

Sera stared at her a moment. "You almost smiled again, love. I like it when you smile." The elf turned, slipped outside, and closed the door behind her.

Cassandra sat on the bed a moment, rubbing at her wrists, staring absentmindedly at the bed. After awhile, she stood, crossed the room, and went outside to the front porch. The day was still grey and overcast, but she didn't mind. She sat herself on the front stair where Sera had been seated earlier and watched a little puddle of muddy brown water gather raindrops. Her hand reached for the collar around her neck, but when her fingers grazed it, she hesitated. She figured she could probably get the thing off with enough fiddling around, but there was a part of her that didn't _want _to take it off. That other part of her was… more and more prominent within her these days it seemed.

And so, it was like that Cassandra waited for Sera to return; seated on the porch, watching the rain, collared and obedient… her thoughts drifting inexorably back to what the elf might look like when she returned… and shed her clothes.


	9. Chapter 9

It was just after dusk, when the sky was aglow in the soft purple sprawl of twilight that preempted the darkness of full night, when Sera came galloping back into the cabin clearing. Cassandra watched her materialize from the woods, her long legs spurring the horse at a cantor, her straw-blonde hair swaying with every stride the beast between her thighs took. In the day's last light, she was a pretty thing to look upon, in truth, and Cassandra could not help but watch her ride the entire stretch.

Sera reigned the horse up beside the porch, dismounted, and fixed her with a toothy smile. "You're still wearing your collar."

Cassandra's hand instinctively reached for the thing, her fingertips brushing its leather rim. She'd forgotten about it, truly, but the elf's words had abruptly made her aware of its light grip around her neck; a grip that seemed to say '_you are property__'_. She swallowed, felt the every-so-slight tension tighten and loosen there, sighed. "Yes. I suppose I did."

"Good girl," Sera said as she marched up beside her and cupped Cassandra's chin in her palm. "Looks like I didn't have to tie you down after all then."

"I told you that I'd… I'd _behave_ myself." Words like those were strange on Cassandra's tongue, but when she made herself say them, there was an undeniable excitement conjured within her. It started in her belly, a stirring that was almost uncomfortable, but then it reached down lower, between her legs, and _that_ 'stir' was… something else entirely. She let the elf caress her cheek a moment before asking, "Did you run into any more trouble on your travels?"

"That's none of your business, love," Sera replied with a smirk and a wink. "I'm back and I'm in one piece. That's all you need to know. Oh, and I've brought food. Food is good. Food is yummy. I'm hungry. Are you?"

Cassandra nodded.

"Good. Then get your butt inside." When Cassandra didn't move immediately, the elf frowned, reached around her, and gave her a slap across the rear. At once, Cassandra gasped and reached for her chest, the flood of excitement Sera had worked her into before she'd left returning to her in one fell swoop. In her mind, she saw herself laid over the elf's lap as she'd been then, bound and spanked, _punished_. "_Go_," Sera repeated with a nod of her head, "unless you want another whack on your little bottom there…" Her smirk broadened. "…do you?"

"I, well, I-" Cassandra cut herself short, swallowed, took a breath, then simply shook her head and hurried back inside the cabin. She wasn't sure what she wanted. She was _never _sure anymore. Sera had seemed to cast a spell on her mind that prevented any degree of certainty she may have once had. There was only ambivalence and confusion then; wonderful, wonderful confusion. When she crossed beneath the doorway and back into the cabin, she simply folded her arms across her chest and paced the length of the room as her captor traipsed in beside her and moved to the dining area.

Sera laid a brown sack atop the table there and started fishing around inside. Her eyes lifted to Cassandra. "Stop that pacing or I'll have to tie you down." She raised a brow. "Or, really, maybe I should do that anyway."

Cassandra swallowed as she rubbed at her wrists. "Well, I'm your prisoner. I suppose you can do with me as… as you wish."

Sera grinned and chewed at her bottom lip as those bright green eyes of hers surveyed Cassandra up and down. "You're making me want to skip dinner and go straight to dessert, love."

"Dessert?" Cassandra echoed, drumming her fingers nervously against her arms. "W-What do you mean? What dessert?"

Sera only laughed. "Come. Sit down. I want to feed you."

Cassandra hesitated only a moment before obeying her captor. She marched the distance between them, the heels of her bare feet thumping the wood planks in rhythm with her pounding heart, and sat herself in the chair Sera pointed to. The moment she did, the elf took ropes from her bag, moved behind the chair, and worked quickly to bind Cassandra's hands together behind her back. As the ropes pulled taught around her wrists, that familiar feeling of restriction and restraint, the distinct loss of control almost overwhelming her, Cassandra had to pull a deep breath to calm herself. _Maker__'__s breath, _she thought, _I _am _truly coming to enjoy all this__… _That notion frightened her only as much as it excited her.

"Cozy, love?" Sera asked when she'd been secured. "I tried not to tie you _too _tightly just yet. I'm going to have to let you loose when I make you strip for me in a bit."

Cassandra's eyes locked on the elf's. "_Strip?_" A cool sweat came to her palms. "You're… you're going to force me remove my clothing?"

"That's right," Sera answered casually as she went digging around in her bag again. "You're going to bare all your flesh tonight, my little slavey. All for my pleasure. Aren't I cruel?"

Cassandra swallowed. "And… and if I refuse?"

Sera twisted her lips. "Well… I suppose I could put you over my knee again and spank your arse raw, but… I think you might like that a _bit_ too much to be considered 'punishment'." The elf laughed. "Those moans and groans that came out of you last time…"

Cassandra felt her cheeks flush. "I… I was overwhelmed. I didn't think… well, it's just that…"

"It's just that you didn't expect having your bottom whacked by an elf would be so frigging exciting, I get it," Sera finished for her. "It's alright. I liked it. I liked making you moan and writhe like that. You know, you're more and more adorable with every minute I spend with you, love."

"Adorable?" Cassandra repeated, twisting absentmindedly at her bound wrists behind her back. "You've used that word to describe me before. It's… strange. I've never heard someone refer to me as 'adorable'."

"Well, get used to it. It's what you are. Sexy and adorable. Oh, and cute. Did I tell you you were cute yet?"

That warmth in her cheeks grew exponentially. She lowered her gaze. "I am not… _cute_."

"You're smiling again."

"I am _not_!" Cassandra shouted with a shake of her head. "I know I wasn't that time! I would have felt it in my cheeks!"

Sera almost doubled over with laughter. "See! You are _adorable_, love."

Cassandra shook her head, eager to change the topic. "Look, are you going to feed me or not? You've kidnapped me and bound me a dozen different ways by now. The least you could do is not _starve_ me."

Sera put her hands on her hips and raised a brow. "Oh no? I do believe that's my collar you're wearing around your pretty neck, Cassandra Pentaghast. That means your mine. That means I can starve you if I like. I can do _anything _I'd like with you. Them's the rules, love."

"You won't starve me. You're not that cruel. At least, I don't _think _you're that cruel."

"I might be. I'm cruel enough to tickle you, after all." The elf rubbed her chin. "Maybe I'll starve you _and _tickle you at the same time…"

"If that's your plans, then perhaps I should've fled from you when I had the chance."

"Perhaps, love. But you didn't. Now you're all mine, mine to starve, mine to tickle, mine, mine, _mine_." Sera threw herself forward on the last 'mine' and flopped down on Cassandra's lap. She giggled and hooked her arm around Cassandra's shoulders to bring her thumb and forefinger down around her nose. "Mine to pinch that cute little nose of yours, too."

The pinch stung. Cassandra frowned and shook her head. "Stop, Sera! Leave my nose be!"

Sera's hand clamped over her mouth and put an abrupt end to her protesting. "Mine to silence, too" the elf went on. Her eyes flicked mischievously between Cassandra's own as her grin widened. "Aw, what's wrong, love? Got nothing else to say?"

"_Mmmm__…_" Cassandra growled into the elf's palm with a frown.

"Oh? Sounds like you're asking me to pinch your little nosey again."

"_Hrmnph!_" Cassandra shook her head.

Sera only laughed. "You _are_ cute." As the elf stared at her, though, that childish mischief drained from her expression, and a hungry, amorous looked slowly replaced it. She licked at her lips, her tongue putting a slightly moist sheen across them. "And you're mine to _kiss_, too. Kiss whenever I want, so…" Her hand came away from Cassandra's mouth and her lips quickly took its place. She leaned in and cupped Cassandra's chin, keeping her still as she kissed at her. The elf's lips were warm and soft, and Cassandra felt her heart quicken at once as her eyes fell closed and her hands balled to light fists behind her back. Sera's weight was coming down right between her legs atop the chair, making them spread as the two of them locked lips, and the wider they were made to go, the more excitement Cassandra seemed to be filled with. Sera kissed and kissed, and kissed a bit more, and when she finally pulled away, Cassandra was flustered and sweaty and… eager. She made to speak, but Sera wasted no time clamping her hand down over her mouth again, quieting her.

"Your lips are sweet as honey," Sera told her, brushing some hair aside with her free hand. "If I wasn't so bloody hungry, I'd probably keep you tied right here beneath me and kiss those lips until dawn."

Cassandra raised her brow.

Sera laughed. "Oh, you like that idea? Maybe I will then. We don't _really _need food, do we?" She glanced back at the bag and scratched her chin. "Actually, we sort of do. I'm starving. Here, love. First bite goes to you." From the bag, Sera retrieved a round and plump apple that ignited the flames of hunger that'd been kept mostly to embers in Cassandra's stomach almost immediately. Sera dangled the fruit before her eyes, relishing, clearly, in the way it commanded her attention. Then the elf laughed, removed her hand from Cassandra's mouth, and offered the apple. When Cassandra made to take a bite, Sera worked it back between her teeth far enough to stretch her jaw a bit, then stood from her lap and returned to the opposite end of the table.

"_Mmm,_" Cassandra hummed meekly around the apple stuffed in her mouth. She wanted to bite the thing, to fill her tongue with its sweetness and her stomach with its nourishment, but knew if she did, the fruit would roll down her chest and land on the floor. This left her, as she was sure Sera intended, helpless but to await the elf's aid in silence.

Sera stole a peek at her and grinned as she rummaged through her bag. "I've got more of that glazed bread. Butter for it this time, too. Some salted beef to keep our, well, _your _strength up. Ah, and this." She lifted a corked bottle of a dark red wine from the bag and shook it a bit to swirl the liquid inside. "I'd like to share a drink with you after dinner, love. What do you say to that?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes; obviously, the apple was keeping her from 'saying' anything.

Sera shrugged. "Well, I'm sure if you could speak you'd say 'yes', so I'll pour us each a cup, yeah?" She retrieved a pair of wooden cups and filled each to the brim, the wine bottle gurgling and bubbling as its contents were drained. When that was finished, Sera cut them a few slices of bread, buttered them, and laid them atop a napkin. She lifted the salted beef to her nose, took a sniff, nodded, and laid it beside the bread. Her attention drifted to the emptied hearth nestled between an old warped bookcase and a stand of barrels beside the table. The elf pulled some kindling from her bag—a few twigs and a bundle of dry leaves—and set them upon the blackened stone floor of the hearth before dropping the last item of her bag, a thick log, inside upon a rack as well. It only took Sera a few strikes of a flint she'd had in her vest pocket to set the kindling ablaze. Then it was only a matter of making sure the log took before the entire cabin room came alight with the flickering orange and red glow of the hearth's blazing fire. Even from the chair she was seated in, Cassandra could feel the warmth of the flames reaching to embrace her legs and arms.

"There we are," Sera said, standing and dusting off her hands. "A good and proper fire for a good and proper meal. Here, love. Let me help you with that." Sera lowered herself gracefully back atop Cassandra's lap and gripped the apple wedged between her teeth. "Bite," the elf instructed, and Cassandra obeyed. The cabin filled with the most wonderful _crunch _she'd ever heard, then the sweet tang of the fruit was on her tongue and Cassandra savored every bit as she chewed and swallowed. "Good?" Her captor questioned, and when she nodded, Sera took a bite herself before returning it to Cassandra's mouth. It was like that they ate the first of their dinner, taking turns devouring the juicy apple between them until it was nothing but a core. After that, Sera hand fed her a slice of buttered honey bread with a bit of the salted beef beside it. Cassandra ate as obediently as she could, biting when instructed, allowing the elf to dab at her lips and chin with a cloth from time to time, not saying a word. It wasn't until the food was nearly gone that she realized just how much she seemed to actually _enjoy_ being fed in such a manner. _It is as if she is taking care of me, _she realized. _Nurturing me. _No one had done anything like thatfor Cassandra for… a very time.

"I'd give you seconds, but we've got to keep that tummy of yours flat and sexy like it is now," Sera confessed with a grin. She reached for a cup of wine and brought if forth. "Always room for a bit of the good stuff though, yeah?"

Cassandra eyed it wearily. "It has been… some time since I've had a drink, Sera. I can't recall if I'll like it or not."

"Seems like an easy mystery to solve." Sera brought the cup to her lips and tipped it back, leaving Cassandra no choice but take a swallow. The wine was bitter, dry, and warm going down her throat and landing with a soft pinch in her belly. But… it was not bad, either. Sera shared from her cup, even though she'd poured two, and scrunched up her face at the end. "_Yeck_. I actually don't like this stuff all that much. Too bitter. I'm a sweets girl, myself. You should know that by now, love. Heh. I just sort of like how it makes me feel, you know? It's like… it's like taking off this big coat you didn't even know you were wearing sometimes." Cassandra was going to reply, but Sera put the cup back to her mouth and gave her another drink. As she'd confessed, it had been a long time since Cassandra had done so, and already after two swallows she could feel the effects on her mind. She felt… relaxed. "You like it?" Sera asked.

"Yes," she answered. Her eyes flicked to the hearth. "And the fire is nice as well. It gets cold in here at night. The warmth is a welcome friend."

Sera nodded, sipped at the wine, fixed those bright green eyes of hers on Cassandra's as she nibbled at her bottom lip. "I want you to take your clothes off for me now."

Cassandra swallowed and took a breath. "Well… I suppose I'm your prisoner, so… I have to do what you tell me to." _Do I? _Her inner voice questioned, but Cassandra closed her eyes and made it go quiet. Of course she did. She had no choice, no power, no control…. no responsibility. "I have no choice but to obey you."

"That's right," Sera agreed after another sip of wine. "I kidnapped you, _stole _you, and now you're my little slavey and all, so… now I'm making you undress."

Cassandra twisted at her bound wrists. "You still have me tied, Sera."

"Oh, uh, right," she said with a shake of her head. For the first time, the young elf seemed to be the one who was a bit unnerved as she affected a lopsided smile and ran a hand through her hair. She scooted off Cassandra's lap, circled the chair, and set to untying her wrists. "There. All untied. Now… go there beside the fire and do as I told you. I command you to, my slavey."

Cassandra's heart fluttered. "Command me?" Without the ropes keeping her in place, there was nothing physically stopping her from doing as Sera said. That made her only as nervous as it did excited. When the elf nudged her shoulder blade, she rose to her feet on legs made of rubber and stood beside the chair a moment, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she stared into the hearth's flames. She tugged at the hem of her blouse. The fabric suddenly seemed so thin, so vulnerable. "I… I must undress myself completely?"

"Yep," Sera chirped as she slipped into the chair and crossed her arms against her chest. "'Cept that collar around your neck. I like that where it is. But everything else? Has to go, love. I want to see that cute little butt of yours. Want to see if I left my fingerprints across your cheeks." She snickered and unfolded a slender finger towards the hearth. "Now go on, Cassandra. You're a big brave warrior. You've survived worse than this."

Hesitantly, Cassandra stepped towards the flames. As she did, every one of her senses seemed more alive than they'd been in a long time. She could smell the wood log burning within the hearth, hear the soft crackling of the kindling beneath it. There was a slight draft trickling into the room from the broken window, sliding cool fingers over her arms, awakening gooseflesh there. Beneath her bare feet, she felt every dip and divot of the old wood of the cabin floor, and it seemed to be sliding her forward, pushing her inexorably towards what must be done. When she reached her destination and turned back to her elven captor, Sera was still watching intently from the chair, but she was no longer wearing her trademark grin. She only watched, nibbling from time to time at her lip as she was wont to do when she seemed… hungry. Cassandra pulled a deep breath, some smoke from the hearth mingling with the cool outside air as she did, then reached for the hem of her blouse again and scrunched it between her fingertips. What had felt so thin and fragile before now felt like an iron curtain that would be near impossible to lift on her own. Cassandra looked back to Sera, found the elf's piercing green eyes examining every bit of her, and realized she had no choice. _No choice, no power, no control. _She made herself peel the shirt hem up and over her chest, worked her arms out, and pulled the blouse over the top of her head. She tossed it beside the hearth, almost defiantly, then stood facing Sera, bare-chested and as brave as she could be.

"Wow," Sera croaked. "You're breasts, love… they're bloody perfect. I mean, I know I saw them before and all, had a little taste too, but…" She shook her head, swallowed. "They're even better looking from afar… for now."

Cassandra resisted the urge to drape her arm across her chest. Instead, she pivoted slightly towards the one window of the cabin that still had most its glass. In the thing's dark reflection, she could see herself faintly, aglow in the flickering orange/red light of the hearth flames, her breasts bared and exposed, her nipples two dark pink spots at their tips. She swallowed a lump into her dry throat and averted her eyes from the image. The only time she'd taken partners, it had been in the dark of a bedroom, close together and buried beneath the heavy fall of blankets and sheets. Standing there bare-chested with nothing to hide herself was… strangely exhilarating. She sheepishly glanced to Sera and asked, "Now my breeches too…?", though she already knew the answer.

Sera nodded.

Cassandra looked down the length of her body, past her breasts and her stomach, to the plain brown breeches she'd been stolen in. Slowly, her hands came together at the waist, but when she made to loosen the string binding the breeches waistband together, her fingers felt numb and clumsy and entirely unlike her own. She swallowed, focused, tried again. The string was an elusive little thing, snaking between her grasp, but eventually Cassandra got a hold on it and made herself start to untie it. It wasn't until she started in on the task, however, that she noticed her hands were slightly trembling. _Maker__'__s breath, _she thought, _I__'__ve defeated darkspawn and demons the size of a house, and yet _this _task terrifies me. _She made herself continue, though, and after a frustratingly long effort, got the breeches loosened around her waist. It was another long, hesitant, moment though before she was able to tuck her thumbs beneath the band and begin to slowly work it down around her hips and thighs. Every time she met some resistance, she took it as a sign to stop, to pull her breeches up, tie them tight as she could, vehemently refuse her captor any further submission to her commands. But that _other_ part of her… the one that had surfaced when Sera bound and spanked and controllerher… that part made her go on; that part made her _obey_. Before she knew it, her breeches were down around her ankles, then Cassandra only needed a lazy flick of her foot to send them piling beside the hearth with her discarded blouse; clad, then, only in her panties. She lowered her head and glanced to Sera.

The elf was quiet as she stared from the chair across the cabin; only the crackling of the log in the hearth left to fill the silence between them. Sera looked her up and down and up again before speaking. "Turn a bit to your side, love." When Cassandra did, Sera commanded her to stay just as she was before rummaging back into her bag. From her periphery, Cassandra watched as the elf removed a sheet of paper and crowded over it to start some focused work.

"Sera, what are you-"

"Don't talk," Sera said. "Just stay like you are for a bit."

Cassandra did as she was told. As she waited, her eyes were drawn back to the pane of glass across the cabin, to that dark reflection of the bare-chested woman, standing only in underwear then, that seemed so unfamiliar to her. _Who are you? _She wondered. _Have you always been with me? __…__or have _I_ always been with _you_? _As a girl, she'd had fantasies of what a true romance might one day be like. She hadn't been so resistant to the title of 'princess' back then, and so her fantasies often involved some dashing, charming knight in steel armor and a cloak of white coming to scoop her up in his arms and carry her off to wed and to love. Now that childish idea of 'romance' seemed a distant memory to her. Instead of being carried off deep in love by a heroic knight, she'd been bound and kidnapped at the hands of an elf, kept silenced and blinded and tied a dozen different ways, and now she'd been forced to undress herself for her captor's pleasure. And, somehow, some_way_, it was all better than any foolish childhood fantasy she'd had.

"Alright," Sera's voice broke her reverie, pulling her attention back towards the table. "You're allowed to move again, love. For now, anyway. Heh."

"What were you doing?" Cassandra asked.

"None of your business," Sera answered with a smirk.

But Cassandra's curiosity had been piqued. She took a step forward to narrow her eyes onto the paper Sera was crowding her arms around. "What do you have there?"

"Hey! I said none of your business, Cassandra! Now, unless you want to be hogtied and left on the porch overnight, get back to where you- _hey!_'

Boldly, she'd reached for the paper, spurred on by what she thought she saw atop its surface. When her fingers slid the sheet out from under Sera's elbow, her suspicions were confirmed. It was a drawing, but not just any drawing, for it was one of _her_. Cassandra gaped at it and reached for her chest. Sera had drawn her wonderfully. The work depicted her as she'd been, standing beside the hearth, clad only in panties, her stance angled just slightly away so that only the tip of one of her breasts could be seen peeking out from the angle of her arm. Her legs looked long and shapely, her rear end firm and curvy, her back muscles and shoulder blades angular and stark in the grey shading Sera had used to shadow the drawing. "Sera…" Cassandra could only croak as she looked the drawing over again.

The elf snatched the paper back. "I just doodle sometimes is all. And I didn't give you permission to do that, neither. _Bad_ slavey."

"Doodle?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes on the elf's and shook her head. "That's not a 'doodle', Sera. You… you're an artist. A good one. And I'm…" She forced a wan smile. "I'm not nearly as beautiful as you've drawn me."

Sera's reply was quiet, confident, immediate. "Yes you are."

And for a long moment, they only held one another's eyes. "Oh. I-I see," Cassandra stammered, swallowing and averting her gaze. She found the paper again. Beneath it, a few more loose sheets could be seen peeking around the corner. She reached for them, ignoring Sera's protest, quickly sliding them from under the pile before the elf could stop her. They were more drawings… and every one of them, as the top drawing had been, was of her. The first must've been drawn the previous day, for it was set in the cabin, while Cassandra had been tied down to the bed. There was great detail in the drawing, every line and curve given careful attention. She'd been wearing a blindfold at the time, as Sera had drawn, and could easily see how the elf had been able to take her time with the work. The next drawing depicted Sera and herself on horseback, riding through the woods, the elf's arms around her waist, their hair drawn back as if dancing in the wind. The one behind it was of herself laid in the basement of Skyhold, bound hand and foot, her eyes drawn in dark, heavy lines, staring out of the paper, very pretty. The last showed Cassandra in the training yards, a sword in hand, a determined look emblazoned across her visage. She looked powerful, but… Sera had again drawn her face with a soft, careful touch that made her, in Cassandra's opinion, far more pretty than she truly was.

"Sera…" she could only whisper as she thumbed through the drawings again. "You… I had no idea you had such talent."

The elf shrugged. There was a bit of color in her cheeks as she stared at her own feet, shuffling them and drumming her fingers against her arms. "Well… I like drawing is all. Been doing it since I was little. Got good at it, I guess."

"You draw me," Cassandra began, looking through the stack again, "very well. You make me appear so… _fierce__… _and yet beautiful."

"You do that yourself, love," Sera told her. "I just draw what I see 'n how I see it is all. I draw what I'm interested in."

"Oh?" She stopped at the picture of her in the training yard of Skyhold and slid it towards the elf. "And this one? You did this one even before you kidnapped me?"

"Well, I bloody _told _you I sort of, like, had a thing for you. Don't make it all weird. I wasn't, like, stalking you or anything. I just watched you one day and… I don't know. I wanted to draw you."

Cassandra thought on it a moment. "Sera… tell it true. That day you asked me to do you a 'favor', and allow you to take me out of the castle… did you really think I would go along with it? Or did you always intend to steal me?"

Sera chewed her lip. "Well…"

"Sera…"

"Alright, maybe I did want to, sort of, like, take you and all. There. Happy? I admit it. I wanted you all wrapped up good and tight in ropes and all to myself." She grinned. "And I got you too, didn't I? So… looks like it was a pretty good plan."

Cassandra felt herself smile despite knowing she should've been more upset with her captor's revelation. "Yes. I suppose it was a good plan then. You've certainly got me all to yourself out here." The idea that no one in Thedas knew where she was, and that she truly was sort of at Sera's complete mercy roused that tension between her legs again. It was only then she became aware that she was still bare chested, quickly draping her arm over her breasts to conceal the stiffening of her nipples. "Well, you've forced me to undress, Sera… now what do you plan to do with me?"

Sera's eyelids dropped amorously across the vibrant green of her irises as she looked Cassandra over again. "Come over here and I'll show you, love."

Cassandra's feet carried her across the gap between them almost on their own accord. Her hands instinctively moved to the small of her back and laced fingers. She lifted her chin to put a bit more stress on the gentle grip of her collar. Her eyes found Sera's and Cassandra could only hope they conveyed the submission she was willing to give. Sera stepped closer to her and reached for her cheek. The elf's fingers laid softly on her flesh there, trickled down her chin and neck, danced across her collarbone, slipped further down the slope of her breast. Cassandra had to swallow and press her lips together to contain her excitement when Sera's fingertip moved to her nipple, tracing a circle around it, teasing her touch. She didn't touch her swollen nipple, though, only teased a bit longer before dragging her finger down Cassandra's ribcage, riding the subtle bumps there before sliding towards her navel and gently running her palm across her bare midriff. Cassandra could feel her breath grow labored, her heart thundering, her skin flush warm and sensitive. When Sera's hand slid down her belly and the elf's fingers hooked beneath the waistband of her underwear, Cassandra gasped and croaked, "_Oh, Maker,_" before she could stop herself. Sera grinned as her free hand came up and laid a finger down atop Cassandra's lips, quieting her. Then the elf started walking backwards, keeping her fingers hooked beneath Cassandra's underwear, tugging at it, leading her forward as if she were leashed. Cassandra obediently followed until they'd reached the bed, then Sera took a handful of her hair gently in her fist and made Cassandra seat herself on the bed's edge.

"Down," Sera commanded, applying pressure on her grip of Cassandra's hair until Cassandra laid back flat on the bedding. Sera helped her scoot back until she was laid out, her head at the pillows, her legs stretched out down to the foot of the mattress. Then the elf crawled onto the bed herself, hovering over Cassandra with her hands on her hips. Her eyes moved across Cassandra's nakedness, pausing on her breasts firsts, her panties second. When she returned her gaze to Cassandra's eyes, she had a confident, mischievous look there. "I'm going to use my mouth on you."

"Y-Your mouth?" Cassandra stammered. Her throat had gone dry again.

Instead of answering, Sera tucked some of her blond hair back behind her pointed ears and lowered her face to Cassandra's chest. Her lips puckered and landed just below Cassandra's collarbone, then the elf kissed a warm, soft line down to the tip of her breast. When they closed around it, her tongue lashed at Cassandra's nipple until Cassandra could no longer contain a moan of pleasure. Sera's hand was up and clamped tight over her mouth in a flash, forcing her silent. When the elf's tongue lashed against the sensitive pink skin of her nipple again though, Cassandra's eyes squeezed shut and she could not help but to moan again into Sera's palm. That only seemed to spur her captor on further, though, for Sera's tongue came flicking hard against her in quick succession until Cassandra's back arched and she had to take fistfuls of the sheets beneath her. Sera's mouth finally came away from her breast, a faint line of saliva bridging the gap between the two before Sera used her vest collar to wipe it away. She returned her lips almost immediately to Cassandra's flesh, this time right below her nipple. She again kissed herself a path, this one running right down the middle of her bare belly. Sera even stopped and kissed at her belly button a moment before going down… further.

"_Sera__…_" Cassandra called in a hushed voice when the elf's hand slipped off her mouth.

"_Shhh__…_" Sera replied as her thin body coiled down between Cassandra's thighs. The elf's fingers again found their way inside the hem of her underwear. When she yanked, Cassandra's legs squeezed together, and the cool breeze coursing through the cabin immediately began coursing through the strip of hair she kept neatly groomed down between her legs. Sera peeled the panties a bit further down, and Cassandra felt herself come exposed entirely. She pressed her head hard against the bedding and made herself breath as normally as possible. Her knuckles were white from squeezing the sheets so hard. A cool sweat pooled in her warm palms. Then Sera slid her panties off entirely, and Cassandra was as naked as the day she was born; laid out flat atop the bedding without even a single bit of the sheet to conceal herself. She made herself look down between her legs. Sera was there, kneeling, grinning, laying her palms softly against Cassandra's inner thighs, pushing them ever-so-slightly apart as she licked at her lips. _She__'__s going to enter me with her tongue, _Cassandra realized, pushing her head back against the bed and trying to reign in her excitement. Her legs no longer needed to be spread; they were doing that on their own. Her toes curled and uncurled. Her teeth sunk involuntarily into her bottom lip.

Then Sera lowered herself, and the gentle warmth of her mouth closed down right between Cassandra's legs. Cassandra's breath froze in her chest as her back arched and her legs spread even more to allow the elf to have her way. Sera kissed her there, her lips and Cassandra's own becoming one, separating, joining again. Sera's hands slid down to join the fray, caressing and sliding around her labia as the elf sucked at her and kissed at her and took over her body entirely, sending Cassandra writhing and moaning and reaching up to take a handful of her own breast, squeezing it hard just to try and contain herself. Then the elf's tongue found its way inside her, and there was no longer any attempt at control that could stave off what was happening to her. Cassandra's moans came louder than she thought possible as she threw her head back to the bedding, turning this way and that as Sera worked her into a frenzy. She reached for her breast, returned her hand to the mattress, reached again. When she tried to think, there _was _nothing to think _about_. The only image she could muster was Sera's tongue, and the way it might look as it dipped in and out of her as the elf sucked and kissed and controller her in every way feasible. At once, her hands reached down and found Sera's head between her thighs. She took fistfuls of the elf's hair and grit her teeth to contain a scream.

Then Sera used her tongue to thrust inside her again, and Cassandra fell helplessly back to the bed. Her back arched until she had to rise on the heels of her feet as a warmth explosion rocketed up from between her legs, spasming her muscles, draining every bit of energy she had, but _filling _her with an energy too. Her hand found her neck, grasping at her collar as she moaned and groaned and writhed against the orgasm Sera had forced upon her. The smell of the hearth came back ten fold, sounds of the wind raking the cabin walls outside, the feeling of the bed beneath het feet, and of Sera's hands digging into the flesh of her thighs intensified beyond belief.

At a point—either after a few seconds or after an eternity, she could not say—Cassandra simply collapsed, sweating and panting, and staring at the ceiling of the cabin as if she could see right through it; see all the way into the great dark sprawl of the stars above and all the wonders they held. Sera was beside her, laying against her arm, kissing at her cheek.

"Oh, I like you like this, love," the elf's voice whispered into her ear. "You look like you've just had a go with Andraste herself."

Cassandra swallowed, speaking was still very difficult. "Perhaps I have," she answered, turning her head to meet Sera's eyes.

"Perhaps," Sera agreed, reaching for her cheek and stroking softly at it. She raised an eyebrow. "You want me to do that to you again, Princess Pentaghast?"

Cassandra felt herself nodding before she thought she even fully understood the question, and just like that, Sera laughed and slid back to the foot of the bed with a grin. Cassandra could barely collect herself before the elf was back at it, lowering between her thighs and using her mouth and tongue to work her into a heated sort of madness; a _wonderful_ sort of madness. _Maker forgive me, _Cassandra thought as she laid back and surrendered herself to the elf's mouth entirely. She'd spent a great deal of her adult life denying herself such things, and, at least for that one evening, she vowed to deny herself no longer.

And so the night went on: long and warm and incredible - filled with the sweet sensual sounds of Cassandra Pentaghast in total submission to her own pleasure.


End file.
